Two of a kind
by Winds of time
Summary: Six years old Cloud Strife was only minding his own business, but randomly getting an older brother was kind of awesome. Even if he now lived inside his head and claimed his name was Cloud Strife too. Time-travel with a twist, slow-building SephirothxAC!Cloud.
1. Prologue

**Title:** _Two of a kind_ (this might change, this title still makes me go "meh").

**Pairings:** Slow-building SephirothxAC!Cloud, established ZackxAerith, some sprinkles of CC!CloudxTifa. Also, Genesis+Angeal friendship-that-might-be-more-if-you-squint.

**Rating:** T. It is and _will remain_ T. I don't do lemons, people (there goes half my potential readers?).

**General notes:** So. This fic has _history_. I won't bore you with it. Suffice to say I am fairly advanced (7 or 8 chapters to this day, hopefully that means half the story is already written) so I'll try to update weekly-ish for a while. I have other way more intelligent things I should be doing, though, and I still need to reread every chapter before uploading it, so don't be surprised if I am late.

Also: I, kind of, maybe but not really, stole some minor idea from "Through the Looking Glass" by athenastar17? Whatever, it's an awesome fic and you should totally go read it. The only thing it's missing is an end. ): (and _yes_, I know Rain is a girl's name to you weird English-speaking people, but whatever; like Cloud is a normal name _anywhere_)

Finally: the first chapters are heavily based on _Crisis Core_ and I hope I won't confuse anyone who doesn't know it that well. If I do, don't hesitate to let me know. If I mangle anything, let me know too: I'm really trying to abide by as much of the FF7 universe's rules as I can, here, but I am a bit hindered by the fact that I never played/watched half the products (yay Internet).

* * *

**Prologue**

* * *

When Cloud was six, he started talking to an imaginary friend. Although he was maybe a bit old for that, his mother thought nothing of it. Cloud had trouble getting along with most kids his age, and she figured it was only logical that something like that happened sooner or later.

Thus, she was only a little surprised when Cloud said while eating his breakfast one day:

"Mom, you know! I have a new friend. But you can't see it!"

"Really?" she asked. "Why is that?"

He happily pointed to his head.

"'Cause he is in there!"

"Is that so? Is he tiny-tiny, then?"

He shrugged with a pout.

"I dunno. I can't see him either."

She hummed and poured more orange juice in his glass.

"Is he nice?"

"Yes! All the time. But not at first. At first, he made my head hurt a bit. And sometimes, he says things I don't understand. He's a bit weird, but that's okay, 'cause he is still pretty nice."

She couldn't help but smile. Of course, Cloud would create a friend that would be smarter than him. That was only natural, as he thought others kids too immature to be interesting.

"Well, what's his name?"

He scrunched his nose.

"That's why it's weird! He says his name is Cloud. But I told him it can't be, 'cause that's _my_ name. Right? That's weird, huh?"

Well, it certainly was unusual. She raised her eyebrows.

"Hum… Let's see, what kind of person is he?"

"What kind? Huh… He is nice… but sad, too. Yes, it's like he is sad all the time. And lost, I think."

"Lost?"

"Yup! Like he doesn't know where he is, or where he is supposed to go, and that makes him really sad."

"Really? Well then, he is nothing like my Cloud, is he? Because my Cloud is a white, fluffy cloud, like you see in a warm summer day. And this Cloud looks more like a raincloud, doesn't he?"

"A raincloud?"

"Yes. Why don't you call him that? Rain for short. It's nice, don't you think?"

"Rain…"

He raised his eyes to the ceiling and seemed to think for a second. Then he smiled widely.

"He says it's okay! Rain. Alright, I'll call him that. Thanks, mom!"

Then he finished his plate and ran outside. Well, it'd pass on its own, she figured.

* * *

Rain slept a lot. Most of the time, he'd only be here a couple of hours per week. Cloud didn't understand why he needed to sleep so much, but Rain didn't seem to know either. Still, it was nice having someone to speak to when he was awake. Rain always understood everything he said, it was like he read his thoughts or something. Then again, maybe it was the case, what with him being in his head and all.

* * *

When Cloud was nine, the mayor's daughter fell from the bridge in Mt. Nibel and hurt herself. Cloud liked Tifa. She was his neighbour and was always nice to him. He had been with her, but he hadn't managed to catch her on time.

Mr Lockhart was really angry, and said it was all Cloud's fault Tifa had been injured. Cloud knew it was his fault, that he should have been more careful. It made him angry, because he hadn't managed to protect Tifa.

The other kids, too, said it was all his fault, and he started fighting a lot with them. Rain awakened in the middle of a fight, and said it was stupid of him. If he wasn't strong enough to protect people important to him, obviously, he should be busy getting stronger.

Cloud agreed. Besides, Rain had slept all throughout Tifa's accident, and he was really upset when Cloud told him about it. After that, Cloud could tell that Rain made a lot of effort to sleep less.

Rain did his best to teach him how to become stronger. Cloud also went to see Zangan, who was a martial arts master, but he was not that good at martial arts… When Tifa also came to ask Zangan to teach her, she quickly became much better than him. He was impressed, and he started liking Tifa even more. He didn't dare talking to her too much after the accident, especially since he didn't like her friends at all, but he really liked what few time he spent with her.

When he told Rain about it, his friend was really amused for some reason.

Along the years, he had realized that Rain was really unique. No one else but him had someone like Rain talking in their head like that. His mom thought he spent too much time talking with him, so he stopped telling her about him, and he didn't tell anyone else. Rain was like a secret brother that no one but him knew about. And to him, that was what he had become: a big brother, who was not here that often, but who was awesome and always had a lot of good advice for him when he was.

So, when Rain said they should try getting into the Shinra Mansion, which all kids in Nibelheim knew to be haunted, Cloud was scared, but he agreed.

They didn't manage to get in, though. There were a lot of monsters in there, and Cloud was in no way strong enough to beat more than one or two of them.

He came back home bloodied and dizzy from the blows he had taken, and his mother screamed and nearly fainted. She called the doctor, and they made sure he was okay. It turned out he had even been poisoned by one of those things. After that, his mother grounded him for months.

That didn't matter much, though, because Cloud didn't feel like getting out. Rain was really upset that they had failed. He tried hiding it, but Cloud could still tell. Cloud said they would try again, but Rain said no, that it was too dangerous. So, Rain was feeling upset, and guilty because Cloud was grounded. And Cloud was feeling guilty and worthless, because he couldn't even do a single thing Rain asked of him.

He really wasn't strong enough.

* * *

A few miserable months later, the Wutai War reached a peak and it soon became impossible not to hear about it, even in Nibelheim. At that time, an extraordinary SOLDIER was quickly climbing the ranks of Shinra military. He was rumoured as having a keen strategic mind, and he was nothing short of unstoppable in the battlefield. He was even a charismatic enough man that under his command, every soldier seemed to surpass himself.

SOLDIER counted in its ranks many incredible men, but even amongst them, Sephiroth was swiftly becoming a legend.

Or so, at least, is what came to Cloud's ears.

In Nibelheim, the television had bad reception. The images were blurry and the sounds sometimes inexistent. Nonetheless, Cloud was entranced. Every time the Wutai War came on the news, he had to be here. His mother complained, as she didn't appreciate stories of bloody victories at dinner time, but she let him do as he pleased since she didn't remember ever seeing him this enthusiastic about anything before.

When he awoke during the news, Rain was very quiet. Cloud could feel he was in a weird mood at those times, but he kept to himself and never said anything. Over the years, Cloud had begun to understand Rain a little better. He knew there were a lot of things his brother of choice wasn't telling him. Rain had a lot of secrets, he was sure of it. But he didn't feel he had any right to ask him the truth, not when he wasn't even able to grant him the one favour he had ever asked.

That's why one day, he made his mind up.

"Hey Rain, I'm gonna be a SOLDIER."


	2. Chapter 1

**Note:** This chapter is a bit choppy, since it's only the beginning and I am trying to get to the good stuff quickly. Hopefully it won't annoy anyone. (Also: thanks to everyone who gave love to the prologue!)

Published on: 07/29/2012

* * *

**Chapter 1**

* * *

"Hey!"

Who?… It sounded from so far away…

Cloud came back to himself, dazed. Everything seemed to hurt and he barely heard himself groan.

"Cloud! Talk to me!"

That's right, that voice, it was Zack. The SOLDIER First Class he had befriended on the way here.

That thought sent a strange ripple through his mind, and he realized with a start that Rain was awake.

'_Zack? You know him already?'_

"Cloud!"

They both sounded so worried, suddenly, that he didn't know which one to answer first. He concentrated on pushing on his arms, tried to stand, and flopped right back down on his ass. Zack was immediately there, reaching for him, and as Cloud's eyes landed on his face, he felt Rain's anxiety increase tenfold. He tried to stay on track.

"We're all right," he said, holding a hand to stop his friend.

Because, really, it wasn't only him. It successfully diverted Zack's attention towards Tseng, who was slumped a bit further against a wall. With the SOLDIER thus occupied, Cloud was freed from having to answer two lines of inquiry at the same time. Rain now seemed hesitant, nearly confused.

'_This place is…'_

Cloud let his gaze wander around the dilapidated building for his benefit.

'_Modeoheim. I was sent on a mission here, as support for catching that First Class SOLDIER, Genesis something, and the scientist guy who defected with him.'_

'_That's right. That's when I… you… met Zack…'_

He stopped mid-sentence and Cloud literally felt his attention switch to the words that a wounded Tseng was muttering to Zack.

"… catch Hollander. Angeal… is waiting for you."

Oh yeah, Angeal, that man who had knocked both Tseng and Cloud down without breaking a sweat.

When they had found Genesis, Zack had stayed behind to fight him while Cloud and Tseng had chased that Hollander guy, the scientist, but they had been intercepted. Cloud had been too surprised by the wings on the guy's back—the wings!—to really feel insulted at being beaten so easily, especially when the Turk ate the ground too. Still, he had apparently not tried to kill them, which was always nice.

The humour was lost on Rain, whose mind he could feel whirring so fast he was actually starting to get nervous himself. A few monsters showed up out of nowhere, and before Cloud could muster the energy to haul his exhausted and aching body to his feet, Zack took care of them. SOLDIER… That was really something…

Tseng convinced Zack to go on without them, and with a last worried glance, the First Class disappeared through a doorway.

'_No!'_

Cloud actually started, earning a tired peek from Tseng. It was the first time he had ever heard Rain so alarmed, apart maybe from that disaster in the Shinra Mansion.

'_Cloud, you have to follow him! Hurry!'_

'_But…'_

'_Something terrible will happen to Zack if you don't… if only I could _remember_… Cloud, you have to hurry!'_

Something terrible, and to Zack? That was enough to get him moving. He barely knew the guy, but damn it, he _liked_ him. He never thought before meeting him that a SOLDIER could be so friendly to a mere infantryman.

Tseng frowned at him as he staggered with difficulty to his feet.

"What are you doing?"

"Zack…" he gasped. "Have to help him…"

"I doubt you'd be of much use to him, even if you were in perfect health," Tseng answered, and managed to sit. "You saw what Angeal…"

"Angeal!"

The name once more produced a reaction from Rain, and Cloud nearly tumbled to the ground under the onslaught of a massive headache. Whatever Rain was trying to remember, he was trying too hard, but Cloud didn't dare protest. It was obviously very important.

'_Never met him… _Why_ did I never met him? And the sword, the _sword_…'_

Their thoughts intertwined, until Cloud barely knew what he was saying anymore.

"Have to go… Angeal might… do something terrible…"

Tseng watched him with a piercing gaze as he made his way to the door, but he didn't try to stop him. Rain's intuition, whatever it was, suddenly coalesced into something whole, cold and hard like a blade, which he kept to himself with a grim determination. Freed of the weight of his thoughts, Cloud breathed easier and focused on forcing his battered body to jog.

His ribs protested while he was picking his way through the decaying rooms and catwalks, and at one occasion he had to duck out of the way of wandering monsters. Thankfully, Rain always seemed to make a better use of his senses than he did himself, and he had noticed them in time to avoid them. Following the trail of monster corpses Zack had left in his trail was easy enough, but Cloud still chafed at how slow he was—he had already disappointed Rain once; this time, there was no way he was letting Rain _and_ Zack down! Even if he had to run on rusty pipes clinging shakily to a wall a dozen of meters above the ground… But he sure felt better once back on stable land.

'_There! Do you hear that?'_

Cloud listened, and sure enough, faint voices were coming from up ahead. And as he was heading there, a shout.

"Stop it!"

Cloud ran… And as he emerged into a large room, as unkempt and void of furniture as the rest of the building, he was just on time to see four large creatures land behind Zack and the plump man he recognized as Professor Hollander, while Angeal just stood there, impassive. His first instinct was to help his friend, but Rain stopped him.

'_Cloud, your voice! Quick, repeat what I say!'_

Hollander jumped on Angeal, shouting something desperate about a sample. The ex-SOLDIER easily pushed him back, but in the split second it gave him before the beasts pounced (_and if that happened all was lost, lost_, he kept hearing from Rain), Cloud found his breath.

"Angeal Hewley, you coward!"

All froze. Cloud felt himself blush under all their combined gazes. The monsters had stopped mid-pounce, looking confused as the order they were waiting for didn't come. Because they were here to obey, he realized as some of Rain's mysterious knowledge finally leaked through. To obey Angeal, but not to harm Zack…

"Cloud?" Zack shouted, as his gaze fleeted nervously between the infantryman and the beasts.

Angeal gratified him with an unimpressed look.

"I thought I had made it clear this was private business."

Cloud alone would have blushed all the more and stammered, but Rain's anger was beginning to seep through too, and his words came out loud and clear.

"Private? And what about all the people you're trying to leave behind?"

Hollander had made it back to his feet and was trying to sneak behind the winged SOLDIER. Angeal seized him by the throat and sent him flying back against a wall, hard enough that he lost consciousness and crumpled to the ground.

"What do you pretend to know, that you'd dare to interfere?" he growled, calm façade beginning to crack. "You know nothing."

"I know you intend to fuse with these copies—"

The strange word slipped easily through his lips, like he actually knew what he was talking about. Copies? He thought only Genesis had those.

"—to force Zack to battle and kill you. Am I wrong?"

"What?" Zack yelled, startled. "Angeal, what?"

The man didn't answer, gaze set on Cloud.

"I won't repeat it. Whatever you think you know, this is none of your business. Get out."

Cloud stubbornly held his place, glaring right back. He was beginning to understand what was going on, especially since Zack seemed more worried than angry. That Angeal guy was trying to get a friend to kill him, and that made him just as furious as Rain was. What sort of friend did that?

His only warning came from Rain, and he ducked and rolled to the ground. Above him came the sound of clashing blades. He raised his eyes to see Zack and Angeal locked in a silent stand-still where his head had been a second before, and he blanched.

"I merely intended to knock him down," Angeal said.

"I know," Zack answered, and that simple statement did a lot to prove to Cloud that Angeal was a really good friend of Zack. "But so far he's the only one who said anything that makes sense in this madness. Angeal, what about the people you'd leave behind? What about _me_? How could you try to get me to do that?"

Angeal scoffed and disengaged his blade.

"You're strong, Zack. You don't need me. And like I said, there is someone waiting for you, isn't there?"

The beasts were creeping closer. Cloud latched back on the angry words bubbling from Rain's mind.

"And what about Sephiroth?"

Angeal looked at him like he was crazy.

"Sephiroth is the last person who'd need me."

"You can't…!"

He jumped to his feet. He could feel that Rain was so angry he was nearly out of words.

'… _because of him and the other… so much waste… you complete moron!'_

"You are blind!" he exploded. "So blind! Who else does Sephiroth has? You two were the only ones! And it didn't occur to you that he might be like you, too? That he would suffer for it, too? Would you recommend he find someone to run a sword through himself, then, just like you would?"

Angeal actually took a step back. Zack's eyebrows had climbed to his hairline.

"Uh, Cloud… What are you even saying? 'Cause Angeal and Genesis are, like, confidential stuff and there's no way Sephiroth would be… I mean that'd be crazy… and… Angeal?"

Angeal was staring at Cloud, troubled.

"No. Hollander would have bragged about it."

"Ha! Hollander!" Cloud, or rather Rain, laughed bitterly. (Because at this point, Cloud didn't really understand anymore the words he was dutifully speaking in his brother's behalf. Sephiroth was what?) "Hollander was never the one in charge of Sephiroth's physicals, was he?"

Even through a growing headache, Cloud could sense it was a shot in the dark on Rain's part, but it seemed to work. Angeal recoiled, looking grim.

"Hojo!" he muttered.

"Wait, wait!" babbled Zack. "That's only speculation, right? There's no way Cloud could ever know something like that, he's only a trooper. Right, Cloud? It was just a guess, huh?"

Cloud barely heard him. His headache was growing exponentially worse, and he was clutching his head in his hands. He felt himself stagger, and two hands caught his arms. Someone was talking to him. Through the blackness he could feel creeping on him, he managed to push a few more words.

"Sephiroth… needs you… don't…"

And then there was nothing.

* * *

He woke up on the dirty floor of the same room. Zack was shaking him. Angeal and his copies were nowhere to be seen, but Hollander was still unconscious in a corner.

"Cloud!" said Zack, clearly relieved. "You're finally awake. Are you wounded? Hurt somewhere?"

Not anymore than the last time he awoke to his friend's face. But he let Zack fuss over him and tried to reach Rain. To his surprise, he found him awake, though exhausted. He had clearly stretched his strength trying to hold on until Cloud regained consciousness.

'_What happened?'_

'_Not sure,' _Rain answered shortly._ 'Think I may have exhausted us both, bleeding my emotions over like that. Sorry.'_

'_Hey that's alr_—_'_

'_No it's not,'_ he interrupted, and that was highly unusual, testament to how little time he had before slipping under himself. _'I said too much, they're going to be curious.'_

And sure enough, as he ascertained that Cloud was indeed in no immediate danger, Zack's expression turned very serious.

"Alright then, Cloud, listen. We've got very little time before Tseng comes looking for us. Were you serious, about Sephiroth? Do you know something Angeal and I don't?"

Cloud tried not to panic.

"No, I—I mean, it's just like you said. A guess. I mean, since Genesis and Angeal both have… uh… _wings_… and they and Sephiroth are the three greatest SOLDIERs in the company, right? So, it'd seem weird that the two second bests would be like that and not, you know, the first?"

That was not as convincing as he would've liked. Zack didn't really seem to be buying it, either. There was a distance in his eyes that wasn't there before, and it wrenched Cloud's heart.

"Right," he drawled. "And how come you knew who was in charge of Sephiroth's physicals? And what about that attitude? How come you were all fiery-like, suddenly? Especially about… Oh."

He seemed to have an epiphany.

"Oh! You're a fan of Sephiroth, is that it? Is that why you were nearly spitting fire at Angeal?"

Well, considering he was already blushing, because he _was_ technically sort of a fan of the man, maybe that excuse would work better.

"Huh…"

He didn't even have to say anything, his face was enough to convince Zack. The SOLDIER dissolved back into an easy grin.

"Oh man, lucky him! With that sort of fans, who needs bodyguards?"

Scowling but still blushing, Cloud gave him a good shove.

"Shut up," he muttered. "I just really look up to him, okay?"

Zack kept smiling, but Cloud knew better than to think himself off the hook. Despite seeming so laid-back, Zack was a SOLDIER; surely he was no fool. He had to know something was strange. Well, he seemed at least willing to let it go for now.

As they were getting up, Cloud finally remembered to ask.

"And Angeal? Is he… will he…?"

In answer to his worried gaze, Zack gave a tired smile, and this one was completely genuine.

"He'll be fine, I think. For now, at least."

That was the only answer they were going to get, but it seemed enough. Rain finally allowed himself the stiffening oblivion of sleep.

* * *

SOLDIER exam day.

Cloud was so full of nervous energy he could actually understand why Zack was always doing his infamous squats while waiting for something. Standing still seemed so hard!

Zack had already come by to cheer him up and punch his shoulder a few times around. He was so enthusiastic about it it actually hurt, but if Zack was right and there really was no way he could fail, then in a few days, it wouldn't matter. Zack would be able to playfully punch him as much as he wanted, Cloud would be done with the stupid bruises!

And he would not fail. No way. Rain had been helping with his training every time he was awake, and ever since they met some two months ago, Zack too had been giving him tons of pointers—he was also always trying to drag him off to eat a bite or chill out together, which was really flattering, given that the man had loads of friends, in and outside of SOLDIER. Cloud guessed Zack still felt he somehow owed him for stopping Angeal from doing something stupid; it was a bit embarrassing, since that had been all Rain, but he would have had trouble explaining _that_. The other, grimmer option was that he was keeping an eye on him, but he didn't want to be thinking like that.

The waiting area was full of hopeful teenagers and young men, most of which Cloud had already met during the mandatory six-month training in the Shinra regular army. The candidates eyed each other warily and mostly kept to themselves. Cloud was practically vibrating in his chair.

His anticipation was so high that he actually managed to wake Rain, which was quite a feat. When his brother slept, he was dead to the world.

'_Oh Rain!'_ he said before he was even fully awake. _'No pointers today, okay? I want to do this totally on my own.'_

'_What? Oh… That's right. The SOLDIER exam.'_

He didn't sound very enthusiastic, but that was alright. Cloud was pumped up enough for two.

'_Yeah. I told you it was today, remember?'_

'_I would have had to know today was July 10th to realize that,'_ Rain replied with his usual brand of dry humor. _'How is your leg?'_

He had been wounded in a mission two weeks ago, but he didn't like to think too much about that one. He had finally been allowed to carry a real sword, not that stupid billy club rookies were armed with, and the mission had been a total failure.

'_Not total,'_ Rain assured him. _'Professor Rayleigh is alright, thanks to you. You did your best. Leg?'_

'_It's fine, no worry. I don't think it'll give me trouble.'_

Rain kept silent a few seconds. When he spoke again, he sounded uncertain.

'_Cloud, don't be too disappointed if you don't make it, okay?'_

'_Come on! I told you I don't want to be thinking like that. I know you don't like that I want to be a SOLDIER, but it's like Zack said; I've got to give it my all and pray for the best!'_

'_I'm beginning to think spending so much time with Zack may not be that good for you,'_ Rain grumbled, which was an odd remark since he had always seemed very happy that Cloud and Zack were getting so close. _'I'm just saying…'_

Just then, Cloud's name was called. He jumped to his feet and tried not to trip in his eagerness. Zack had promised he'd be watching what he could of the exam, and there'd probably be other, bored, SOLDIERs looking on. He didn't want to make a fool of himself. He took a deep breath as he was approaching the door.

'_Later, 'kay? Here I go.'_

Rain settled in an uneasy silence at the back of his mind.

* * *

'_I was good, right? Right? Rain? I think I was good but that monster still grazed me while I was protecting the crate that was the mission objective, so maybe…'_

'_Cloud. Relax. You did fine. More than fine.'_

Rain's clipped tone and the hint of pride that shone in his voice did a lot to calm his frazzled nerves.

'_Besides, you are still there, aren't you? Look around. There isn't that much candidates left.'_

That was true. One or two guys were still coming from the simulation rooms where the last exam was taking place, but they had been called by alphabetical order, so there weren't that many people behind Cloud on the list. And right now, they couldn't be more than ten in the room. That meant… that meant that there were only the physicals left to go, right? It was the last step, right?

Finally, a door in an adjacent corridor opened. Curious, Cloud leaned forward and saw a small crowd exiting a nearby room. He recognized Zack's broadsword and strong shoulders and smiled, excited. He had really been here! Right now, though, he had his back turned to Cloud as he was talking to someone behind him… and that someone…

Cloud gasped, as did a lot of the candidates around him. Sephiroth!

He was in full battle garb, the only thing missing his legendary blade, the Masamune. As the troopers looked on, awestruck, he turned his head to regard them with a piercing green gaze. Then, with a parting nod to Zack, he turned and left. Zack caught Cloud's eyes and gifted him with a knowing smile. With a wave, he too followed the parting crowd.

Cloud didn't really mind his friend's teasing, he was too busy realizing that _Sephiroth_, out of all people, had been watching the exam… He had always thought it would be much too boring, or even downright painful, for a SOLDIER of his standard. He had to be really dedicated!

As he was lost in his renewed admiration for the man, it took him a minute to realize that Rain had gone very, very quiet. It was not the usual sleeping quiet, though, more like he had shuttered himself so hard nothing was filtering anymore.

'_Rain?...'_

He came back then, though he didn't say anything, just raised his usual attentive silence. Funny how Cloud could catch the nuances so well after all these years.

'_You okay?'_

'_Yes. Cloud, listen, about what I wanted to tell you earlier. Did you know there is a physical requirement for becoming a SOLDIER? I'm not talking about your physical condition. It's something you have never been tested for, something they are going to check right now.'_

Cloud felt something heavy drop to the bottom of his stomach. A man had appeared in the room, clipboard in hand, to lead them to the end of the exam. Cloud rose and followed, all excitement gone.

'_What are you saying?...'_

'_Just… don't be too disappointed if something goes wrong, alright? You were very good today.'_

It was not so often that Rain's compliments were that straightforward. It only made him more uneasy.

* * *

'_You knew!'_

'_Cloud…'_

'_You knew this was going to happen!'_

'_I couldn't possibly…'_

'_Don't lie to me. You knew! Why did you let me do this if you knew I'd fail?'_

Cloud concentrated on not tearing up, despite his strong desire to bawl like a baby. Already the white walls of the infirmary were a bit blurry. Not that it couldn't have been a side-effect of whatever they injected him with that messed up his body and _made him fail the SOLDIER exam_. He was desperately shivering despite the blankets, he hurt everywhere, even in his bones, and his thoughts seemed muddled, like he was trying to walk through molasses. It was still not enough to let him forget.

'_It was your right to try. I couldn't take that from you. Besides, why would you have believed me?'_

'_Even Zack didn't tell me you could fail at the physical. I'm the only one… The only one! Everyone else was fine! What even happened to me?'_

'_The J cells.'_

'_Huh?'_

'_What they injected you with. What they inject every SOLDIER with, though in bigger quantities. Most people are somewhat fine with it, when it's dosed correctly.'_

'_I'm not.'_

'_No. Your body has absolutely no defences against it. You couldn't possibly stand the SOLDIER injections. I'm sorry, Cloud.'_

Cloud covered his eyes with his forearms to hide from the bustling nurses. He wanted to be alone, just now. Why couldn't he just be alone? He felt Rain retreat at that.

'_Not you,'_ he said. _'Never you, Rain. But how could you even know all that? J cells? I thought the only thing they injected SOLDIERs with was diluted mako or something.'_

'_That too. But you would have been fine with it. And you're right, not a lot of people outside of Shinra's elite would know about the J cells. So don't speak about it, okay?'_

'_But… Does that mean… You're Shinra, too?'_

That was the strangest thing he had ever thought. Just thinking of Rain as a separate entity, someone who actually might have a history outside of Cloud, made next to no sense to him. Rain had always been there, as far as he could remember. Cloud would soon be fifteen, and it was only very recently that he had begun to wonder about his brother's nature. Rain's existence was unusual, that he knew, and that's why he had always hidden that there was someone invisible talking to him. But what was he, really? He had been discreet about the questions popping in his mind, worried that Rain would feel insulted or self-conscious about it…

But judging from the amusement filtering from his brother, those pesky cells were messing with his mental shields, and Rain wasn't upset with it at all.

'_You could say… You could say I've been Shinra.'_

That… sent his mind reeling.

Raised voices at the door prevented him from meditating on this life-changing admission. A nurse poked his head through and called to one of his colleagues:

"Visitor for Strife. He clear?"

The woman nodded without seeming to care overmuch.

'_Huh? What?'_ Cloud thought, flummoxed.

'_Probably Zack.'_

Oh Gaia, Zack. He was going to be so disappointed in him! He felt himself pale and was overtaken with the desire to be somewhere else, anywhere but here.

'_Stay in this bed,'_ Rain said firmly when he actually considered getting up. _'If I can't get it through your thick head that none of this was your fault, he will.'_

Before he could take offense to that, Zack appeared, noticed him, and nearly steamrolled a nurse to get to his side. His eyes were wider than usual and he seemed pretty alarmed.

"Cloud! Oh Gaia, you alright? I didn't even know you could be allergic to that shit they give us, I swear! You feeling alright? Well, not too badly I mean?"

"I don't really think it's an allergy," he croaked, mainly because he didn't know what else to say.

He had trouble looking Zack in the eye. The SOLDIER didn't seem to notice. He commandeered a chair and sat, knee nervously bouncing.

"I'm so, so, _so_ sorry, Spike. I swear I had no idea this sort of thing could happen. You did so well in the exam, too! Everyone in the room thought you'd be a fine SOLDIER!"

Everyone in the room… Sephiroth, too? He knew Zack was trying to cheer him up, but really, it only made him bitter. Zack quickly noticed, though.

"Oh man, sorry," he moaned. "I'm an idiot, right? It's okay, you can tell me, I know I am. Look, tell you what? As soon as you feel better, we're going to go out together, you and me. Right? You can chill and shake this nasty thing off, take a breather, before you think about what you want to do next. 'kay?"

What he wanted to do next. Of course. He had only signed for the six-month probation, and now, it was all for nothing. It's not like he could go back to Nibelheim, too. He'd never be able to face his mother, let alone Tifa or the rest of the villagers. Maybe one day, he would… But no, not today, not so soon. He needed time, to come to terms with it. He could maybe find a job in Midgar… But he knew he'd get bored. Shinra was not perfect, far from it, but he actually felt alive, here.

So, he guessed he'd stay… Right? For now, at least.

He smiled a pale smile to Zack, made an effort to look him in the face, and nodded.

"Yeah, sure. I'd like that."

* * *

Home, sweet home.

Cloud tried not to breathe too much in the corridor, where smells of sweat and puke tended to permanently linger. He swiped his card and the door disappeared in the wall with a tired hiss. At least, the tiny one-room apartment he called home was cleaner.

The regular army's barracks were not the most comfortable living space he had ever known, and unlike SOLDIERs' rooms they were outside of Shinra Headquarters; still, it was free housing, he had his own apartment now that he was no longer a trainee, and it was barely a five-minute walk to work. Not too bad.

With a sigh, he carefully propped his Shinra-issued sword at its place against a wall. Just as he was removing his helmet—he hated this thing, it got way too hot when there was some action, not to mention it messed up his hair—his PHS rang. He dropped the damned helmet on his tiny bed and fished around in his pocket. He smiled at seeing the caller ID.

"Hiya, Zack."

"Hey Spike. How's it going?"

"Huh, good," he answered, a bit confused. Zack seemed nervous. "You?"

"Eeeh," the SOLDIER sighed. "Well, huh, I need a favour, Cloud. You busy?"

"I just finished at HQ. Want me to drop at yours?"

"No, I'm not there. Think you could come below Plate?"

"Below…?"

Well, that was unusual. Cloud knew Zack often went down there to see his girlfriend, whom Cloud had yet to meet, but he himself only went there on patrols. It was not a part of Midgar he was really eager to visit, but if Zack needed him…

"Something wrong with your flower girl?"

"Huh? Oh, no no," Zack laughed. "It's not about Aerith. Still, you coming?"

"Yeah, of course I am. Let me just change and head to the station."

"Awesome! Thanks Spike. I'm sending you the train details by email."

"Okay, see you there."

He stripped off his uniform and put on a clean shirt and some loose pants, then strapped his sword back on. No way was he going down there without a weapon. His pocket chimed; Zack's email.

Taking the train to the under Plate Sector 5 was uneventful. Cloud climbed out and warily made his way to the platform exit, looking for Zack. He was barely out when a hand clapped on his shoulder, making him jump and nearly reach for his weapon.

"Hey Spike," Zack said, smiling brightly. "Thanks for coming. This way!"

He let himself be dragged away, sighing in relief.

"You scared me, you idiot."

"What, thought I was a rapist or something? Don't worry, the slums aren't that bad," he laughed.

"For a SOLDIER, I'm sure they aren't."

But though Zack was happily bantering as per usual, there was something off with him.

"So, what's up?"

"In a minute Cloudy, we're nearly there."

Cloud examined his surroundings with a disbelieving stare. They were in a pretty deserted area not far from the train tracks, empty streets badly lit and littered with scraps of cardboard and the odd trashcan.

"In this place?"

Zack gently pushed him in a narrow alley between two windowless walls.

"Sorry, Spike."

Cloud twisted to look at him over his shoulder, surprised. Zack's eyes had gone guilty and a bit sad.

"I'd really rather not drag you in this mess, but I'm out of my depth here."

Before he could open his mouth to ask what was happening, he heard something land softly in the alley and twisted to look while simultaneously stepping back. Zack pressed a gentle but firm hand on his back, preventing him from backing up further.

A huge broadsword appeared under his chin and Cloud was left gulping, staring in the angry eyes of traitor Angeal Hewley.


	3. Chapter 2

**Note:** I'm so bad at this deadline thing. Sorry the kick wasn't as effective as it should have been, mysterious Guest! ;)

Published on: 08/07/2012

* * *

**Chapter 2**

* * *

The ex-SOLDIER's white wings were spread, the biggest one brushing against one of the alley's walls. It made him seem even more imposing and menacing than he already was, and since Cloud very much liked his neck, he didn't dare move so much as a muscle.

"Angeal," Zack said, a warning in his voice.

The man grunted, not taking his gaze from Cloud. Still, he lowered his sword. Cloud breathed more easily.

"You know I don't trust him," Angeal said.

"Cloud is a good guy. Have faith, man! If he can help, I'm sure he will."

Nervous, Cloud backed up against a wall to try and keep the two of them in sight.

"What's going on, Zack?" he breathed.

Wasn't Angeal a deserter? What was he doing here, in Midgar of all places? Zack reached a hand and squeezed his shoulder, trying to reassure him.

"It's all right, Cloud, Angeal won't hurt you. You can't tell anyone you saw him here, though. You get it, right? Angeal isn't working against Shinra or anything, and it would be bad for him if they tried to chase him now."

And for Zack too, if it got out that he was still in contact with his old mentor. Since Modeoheim, Cloud had learned a bit more about Angeal and Zack's past. About that Genesis guy, too, since Zack had told him as much as he was allowed to. It was bordering on treason, what Zack was doing right now.

"Okay," Cloud said slowly, though in a worried voice. "If you say so, Zack. I trust you."

Zack grinned at him.

"Thanks, Spike, you're the best."

A ruffle of feathers caught Cloud's attention. Angeal had backed a few steps and was tiredly rubbing a hand against his brow. He stopped when he noticed the trooper looking at him, but Cloud was now becoming aware of the ex-SOLDIER's pinched face. It was difficult to see in the poor lighting, but he seemed paler than in Modeoheim, too.

"I was trying to prevent this," Angeal grunted in answer to his scrutiny.

"What?" Cloud said, baffled.

Angeal shook his head and, turning his back to them, took a few steps further in the alley.

"Cloud," Zack said. "Angeal is having problems… keeping his head clear. Uh… I don't understand everything myself but it's probably related to the… y'know… wings and all. So, I know you said it was only logic on your part in Modeoheim but… you sure you don't know anything about this?"

Cloud stared back, wide-eyed. Zack lost a little of his assurance.

"Because if you know anything, anything at all… I mean, it'd be okay. If you have more info than us, anything that could help…"

"This wouldn't have happened if you hadn't barged in," Angeal interrupted.

"Angeal!"

The ex-SOLDIER turned back to them, glowering at Cloud.

"You said Sephiroth needed me. But what use can I be to _anyone_ when I'm _like this_?"

His voice had risen by the end and Cloud flinched, having gotten the impression that the man was usually quite the picture of calm. Angeal grimaced and his hand came to his head, which he shook. His other hand was clutching the hilt of his sword like a lifeline and faintly shaking. Cloud sneaked an alarmed glance to Zack, who was looking more worried by the second.

"Please, Cloud. If you know anything…"

Oh damn, no. Cloud reached frantically to the back of his mind, but nothing to it; Rain was dead asleep.

Rain could have known something about this. He had seemed to know so many things about Angeal and Genesis already, maybe he could have helped. Maybe he would still be able to, when he awoke. He couldn't just tell them that no, he didn't know anything! Zack's friend needed help, and if they had come to an anonymous trooper for advice, obviously there was no one else to provide it.

"I—I'm sorry," he said, and already he could see the hope die in Zack's eyes and a rigidity in Angeal's shoulders. "No, wait! Maybe I can help but not… not today. I mean… Planet, I'm sorry," he breathed, feeling guilty for not offering more.

Zack looked confused, now.

"What are you saying, Cloud?"

"I may… okay, I admit I maybe know more than I should. But it's not from me, that knowledge! It's just really, really bad timing, but I can't contact him now. Maybe if you leave me a few days, I can see if he knows anything about this…"

Talking about Rain, even in such ambiguous terms, made him really nervous, and Angeal's accusing stare wasn't helping.

"So that Shinra can be warned about my presence here?" he growled. "No, thank you."

"Angeal, come on, man!" Zack pleaded. "Cloud already gave his word."

"I heard nothing like that. You are too naïve, Zack."

Judging by his gritted teeth, the swordsman seemed to be having difficulty controlling his temper, but Cloud didn't really understand what he wanted. Zack squeezed his shoulder.

"Cloud, can you swear you won't tell anyone about Angeal? It's alright if he does, right, Angeal?"

Angeal hardly looked convinced, but remembering what Zack had told him about the man, Cloud drew his sword all the same and held it before him. Angeal didn't even bother tensing, a somewhat painful reminder that he had nothing to fear from a non-enhanced soldier like Cloud.

"I swear on my honor as a swordsman that I will not tell anyone about your presence in Midgar, except for the person I told you about. And I swear on his behalf that he will not tell a single soul. I can guarantee it."

Angeal looked slightly mollified by his unwavering gaze. Zack jumped on it.

"And Cloud is damned good with a sword, too! He nearly got in SOLDIER, would have if it hadn't been for an allergy or something to the injections. What a waste!"

Cloud sheathed his weapon and tried his best not to scowl. He knew Zack was trying to help, but he didn't really need his failure to be broadcast. Angeal had gone pensive.

"No, that's probably for the best, in the end. SOLDIER is not always… a good place to be."

Cloud looked at him, surprised.

"That's what he said, too."

"Your mysterious "friend"?"

When Cloud nodded, he let out an amused grunt and smiled, the first time Cloud had seen him do that.

"Then I'm ready to believe that he really knows more about Shinra than he should. Very well. Wait for me here in three days, same time. If you two don't come alone or if I have reason to believe you were followed, I will leave Midgar for good."

He took to the air, before Cloud could even say that three days might be too short. Rain had already been known to sleep two weeks straight. Better hope it would not come to that. He looked on until Angeal reached the top of the buildings, his white wings contrasting starkly with the dark plate above before disappearing.

Cloud lowered his gaze in time to notice the wounded expression on Zack's face, before his friend managed to wipe it out. Well, no wonder, he realized, thinking back to Angeal's words. His mentor had just warned him against betraying him. Hadn't Zack already proved he would not do that? His opinion of the ex-SOLDIER lowered again. Despite a bad first impression, he had tried to keep neutral to respect Zack's obvious affection for the man, but he was making a bad case for himself.

Zack probably noticed something on his face, because he smiled sadly.

"Hey, don't think too badly of him, okay? He is really not like that, usually. Not so short-tempered, and not so paranoid, either. Not that he doesn't have reasons to be, but…"

He sighed, and his shoulders sagged.

"Yeah, I think something is really wrong with him. I hope you can help, Cloud. But all the same, thanks for trying, it means a lot to me."

He smiled, and Cloud did his best to answer in kind.

"If it's for you, it's no problem, Zack. Just don't ditch me in three days, okay?"

Zack laughed. Looping an arm around his shoulders, he stirred him in the direction of the train station.

"Come on Spike, let's go back. Want to grab something to eat?"

"Sure, I'm famished."

* * *

Three days later, Cloud was anxiously waiting in the HQ lobby.

His eyes nervously roamed around the huge room. Sometimes it made him a bit uneasy to notice that there were virtually no traces left of that attack back in April, when the building's security robots went crazy and started firing left and right, and Genesis copies swooped in to add to the confusion. It had been a huge fight, but barely a week after, it had seemed like nothing had happened. Shinra was really good at covering shit. And _that_ sounded a lot like something Rain would say. Cloud smiled, secretly pleased that his brother was rubbing off on him.

He stretched inward and found Rain just in his reach. Rain had woken the day before, and Cloud had told him all about Angeal's problem, but his waking time had been an issue. Rain had had no clear-cut solution to Angeal's difficulties, and he wanted more precisions. To do that, he had to be awake during Cloud's next encounter with the ex-SOLDIER, but it was nearly impossible to achieve.

He usually was awake for a maximum of ten hours before sleeping for a few days straight. He could not stay awake until the time of the meeting, and if he slept like he did usually, he would miss it. Rain had then decided to try something, and see if he couldn't sleep more lightly than he usually did. He had alluded that he had once been a very light sleeper, which meant that he was talking about that Mysterious Time When He Was Not Yet With Cloud, and Cloud had tried his best to not break his brain thinking too hard about that. Anyway, that had made Rain laugh and he had promised to tell him more about it soon, so it would have to be fine.

Still, just because Rain seemed closer to consciousness than he usually did while sleeping, it didn't mean that it was going to work. Cloud had postponed trying to wake him up as much as possible, worried that it had all been in vain… but Zack would be here any minute, now, so it had to be done.

He took a deep breath, squared his shoulders, and gave a good mental poke. He felt Rain stir faintly. Encouraged, he kept poking until he felt Rain's presence begin to unravel. Like a sleeping hedgehog, he thought.

'_Good day to you, too,' _Rain grumbled sleepily, apparently not appreciating the comparison.

'_Hi!'_ Cloud answered, excited. _'It worked!'_

'_So it did.'_

Rain sounded serene, but satisfied.

'_This should make things easier in the future. I am still sleepy, though.'_

'_Yeah, I can feel that. Sleepyhead.'_

All joking aside, it probably meant he would not stay awake for as long as he usually did. Oh, well.

They didn't have to wait long before Zack emerged from one of the elevators. Cloud jumped to his feet, then stopped when he noticed that his friend was not alone. A SOLDIER Second was walking by his side. Zack spotted Cloud and, to the trooper's surprise, signaled the SOLDIER to follow him as he approached.

"Hey, Cloud," he said. "My friend here will be coming with us tonight, all right?"

What? But… hadn't Angeal said he didn't want to see anyone other than Zack and him? He did a double take.

The unknown SOLDIER hadn't even bothered taking his helmet off, nor was he saying a word. He just stood there. It wasn't Kunsel, either. Cloud had already met Kunsel, since he was a good friend of Zack, and the guy wasn't that tall.

As for Zack, to anyone else in the lobby, he would have looked nothing more than a little sheepish, just like someone bringing without warning a stranger to an evening with a friend. But Cloud could see the well-hidden hint of warning in his eyes. Right. Not saying anything suspicious in Shinra territory. Anyway, he guessed Zack knew what he was doing.

"Okay," he said, shrugging.

"Alright!"

Zack clapped his arm, grinning.

"Gaia knows the guy needs to unwind. Let's go!"

Zack led the way down the lobby stairs and to the exit with his usual energy. Cloud followed next to the Second and sneaked curious glances at him. Being openly curious was alright, right? The guy was certainly mysterious. He didn't even react to his scrutiny.

'_What do you think, Rain?'_

'_Hum…'_

Rain sure seemed pensive.

'_Let him go first,'_ he said when they came to the exit turnstile. _'Observe him for me.'_

Cloud did what he was told, politely letting the guy go first and staring at him as he was waiting for his turn.

'_Huh,'_ Rain said when they were outside.

He sounded disturbed.

'_Well?'_

'_I… may be wrong. It's just a hunch.'_

No matter how much he badgered Rain after that, he just said they would see soon enough. As for Zack, when Cloud managed to sneak him an interrogating glance while they were boarding the train, he just winked. Cloud huffed, annoyed, and sat next to the stranger just for the hell of it. The man gave him an odd look and for some reason, Rain was suddenly on edge. Well, he deserved that.

Zack actually breathed a laugh and mussed up his hair.

"Never change, Spike," Zack said, content to sit on his other side and ignore the glare he was sending him on behalf of his poor hair.

They bantered a bit while the train was leading them under the Plate, though the Second never said a word. They weren't talking about anything of importance anyway, since apparently things of importance were prohibited.

Then, finally, when they got out, Zack turned to Cloud to ask him:

"By the way, did you find anything?"

He was aiming for levity for appearance's sake, but it didn't fool Cloud.

"Nothing definite yet. I have a few questions for him."

He would have liked to provide more, but Zack nodded and gave him a grateful smile. Then he turned to their companion.

"We're nearly there."

The guy nodded without a word. So he _was_ coming with them to see Angeal. Cloud hoped the ex-SOLDIER wouldn't flip his lid and leave without talking to them. That would kind of defeat the purpose.

Zack led them through a completely different road than the previous time, and Cloud nearly corrected him, before he realized he was trying to set off potential spies.

'_Good call,'_ Rain said approvingly, and Cloud may have blushed a little under the praise.

If the Second walking next to him noticed, though, he didn't seem to care.

They reached the alley, and Cloud slipped in first while Zack talked to his other friend to cover the fact that they were making a last check on their rear. Angeal was not here yet, so Cloud waited near the wall, bouncing nervously on his feet. He really hoped Angeal wouldn't flee.

The two SOLDIERs finally came in, and the Second abruptly raised his hands to his helmet. He began taking it off, and Cloud couldn't restrain a gasp when a river of silver hair cascaded down his back.

He heard Rain groan, and remembered to close his mouth just before Sephiroth, of all people, glanced at him. He snapped to attention as if stricken by lightning.

"At ease."

Cloud slowly relaxed and Zack gave a small punch to his shoulder, sheepish.

"Sorry I couldn't warn you, Cloud. We were trying to keep it under wrap. It's really not easy for Sephiroth to get out of HQ without anyone noticing."

Sephiroth nodded.

"I apologize for the deception, Strife."

Okay, it was definitely one of these moments where he was not supposed to squeal in surprise that his hero actually _knew his name_.

"Of course, sir," he managed to choke.

He didn't have as much success getting rid of the deer in the headlights look. Thankfully, Angeal took that moment to make his descent from the sky.

"Sephiroth. I am surprised to see you here," were his first words.

Cloud breathed more easily. Angeal had come despite Sephiroth's presence _and_ the attention had switched from him. Bonus!

"You take a lot of risks coming to Midgar," Sephiroth answered, slit green eyes impassive. "I wanted to know what could be so important, that you would do it now that Genesis is no longer a threat."

Cloud remembered Zack and Rain saying Sephiroth had been friend with Angeal and Genesis before their desertion. Although it explained his presence, it didn't show much.

Angeal was sending a curious glance to Zack, who lifted his hands.

"I didn't tell him anything! Don't ask me how he guessed."

"There is a white feather stuck under your shoe."

Zack's hand shot out to brace against Cloud's shoulder and he lifted his foot. Sure enough, a small feather had inserted itself in one of the grooves of the sole. It was splattered with dry mud, and few people would have assumed it was originally white. Especially since there were virtually no white birds in Midgar's grey skies.

Angeal grunted, amused.

"Still, I didn't know you cared, Sephiroth."

Cloud tuned out the banter between the two men.

'_Rain, you could have warned me! You knew, didn't you?'_

Now that he noticed, Rain only ever became this tense when Sephiroth was nearby. So he had to have known! And, oh Gaia, he had sat next to _Sephiroth_ in the train…

'_I would really really rather have been wrong.'_

Yeah, Rain didn't like Sephiroth alright. Why hadn't he said anything sooner, then? He knew Cloud idolized the man. Now it kind of made him feel guilty, like he had to somehow choose between the two people he respected the most.

Meanwhile, Zack and Angeal had seemingly decided that telling Sephiroth about Angeal's "health troubles" was acceptable. Sephiroth looked pensive.

"Have you tried looking into the research data Hollander stole from Shinra in April?"

"I didn't find it in Modeoheim. I wouldn't be surprised if Turks were sent to retrieve it."

Sephiroth frowned.

"If that is the case, why didn't it reappear in Shinra's data room?"

"That's right," Zack said. "You spent a lot of time in there lately."

Angeal sighed, looking more tired than ever.

"We could spend a lot of time throwing hypotheses around, but I'd really rather begin by asking Zack's friend if he has anything to say on the matter."

They all turned to look at Cloud. Unfortunately, Cloud had discovered an unexpected problem. Rain was downright clamming up. He glanced up, surprised, when their attention switched to him.

"Yeah, uh… Just give me a minute," he stammered, blushing.

He turned his back to them and took a few steps away. There was really no subtle way to hide that he was having a heated argument with the voice in his head, but he still cringed under their dumbfounded gazes.

"I still don't understand what made you think an infantryman would be privy to this kind of information," came Sephiroth's deep voice, _sotto voce_.

"I told you, Sephiroth," Zack answered. "It was just some things he said…"

"And he outright admitted to it three days ago," Angeal added.

"That, too."

Unfortunately, what Cloud could hear, Rain could too.

'_This is getting worse and worse. I had figured Zack would raise Sephiroth's attention on you after what happened in Modeoheim, but this is just peachy!'_

Cloud had never known Rain to be so agitated. It would have scared him, if he hadn't sensed somehow that Rain's anger was entirely directed toward himself.

'_Come on, Rain, I'm sorry I said I had a way to get this information, but since they know now…'_

'_No,'_ he flat out refused. _'This is putting you in danger, Cloud. I should have known better than to get you involved in this mess.'_

'_Now, wait a minute! You can't coddle me, Rain. I am the one who made the choice to help Angeal!'_

'_This is much too big for you. The attention you're attracting because of me…'_

'_It's already done anyway! You think they are going to leave me alone if I just tell them my informant dropped the line? And we can't leave Angeal like that! You didn't see him last time, he was downright scary. He nearly said this thing was why he wanted Zack to kill him in Modeoheim!'_

Rain went very quiet at that.

'_That… I guess I can… see why.'_

Cloud could feel something shift in the way his brother viewed the ex-SOLDIER. Maybe Rain had decided he wasn't a coward?

'_We made him change his mind. Shouldn't we assume the consequences?'_

He could feel Rain hesitate for a moment. Rain wanted to help, he was sure of it.

'_No,'_ Rain said. _'Not us. Me. I am the one who asked you to interfere.'_

'_And I made the choice to do it. Not just for you, but for Zack as well. If I can help, I want to, so don't go telling me I can't because it's dangerous! You know why I wanted to be in SOLDIER, why I'm still in the army, you know it! You are the same, too. You'll help even if it's dangerous, because someone has to!'_

A hand on his arm distracted him from his internal dilemma, and he looked up at Zack's worried face.

"Cloud, we can't stay here too long. Sephiroth's absence could be noticed."

Cloud glanced past him. He tried not to look at Sephiroth's impatient frown, and concentrated on the lines on Angeal's tired face. Rain sighed.

'_Fine,'_ he yielded._ 'Fine. You win. But be careful, Cloud. You are stepping in something big.'_

He'd be careful, he would. For his sake, and Rain's.

"Yeah," he said aloud, blinking to get his mind back on track. "Alright, I'm done."

"Okay," Zack said slowly, baffled.

They stepped back to Sephiroth and Angeal, and the ex-SOLDIER fixed an irritated gaze on him.

"Were you able to talk to your contact, or not?"

"Yes. Yes I was. Hum… Could you give a better description of the, uh, symptoms? Anything you can tell."

Angeal gave an impatient sigh, but complied.

"My thoughts are… muddled. Slowed, and sometimes some of my decisions and acts retrospectively make little sense to me. I haven't been able to sleep well for months. On occasions I get flashes of images, impressions, that I forget as soon as I wake up."

"No voices?"

Angeal gave him a wary look.

"No, no voices. Are you implying I might be experiencing schizophrenia?"

His tone was getting dark, but Cloud just blinked, more focused on Rain.

"Huh? No, nothing like that."

Angeal relaxed a little.

"Any idea, then?" Sephiroth asked.

Cloud tried not to stare at him, leaning against a wall in his strange Second Class uniform.

"Well, my contact is pretty sure of what's the cause," he said slowly, "but he doesn't have much on ways of stopping it."

"What is it, then?" Angeal asked, nearly avid.

"It's the… J cells."

Cloud had had to pause. The J cells? Like the stuff they injected every SOLDIER with? The thing was actually dangerous?

'_Only in very high doses,'_ Rain answered.

Fortunately, none of the enhanced men noticed his lag, as they were busy exchanging startled looks.

"The J cells have not been known to have this kind of effect," Sephiroth said smoothly.

"Really? Did you ask Genesis?" Cloud shot back, then realized Rain's formulation was downright impertinent. "Uh… sir," he added, wide-eyed.

Sephiroth shot him a curious look.

"Well…" Zack said slowly, uneasy. "There _is_ no proof that Genesis' behavior was only caused by his degradation…"

"It seems too convenient a timing," Angeal answered, not convinced.

"Yes it does," Rain actually agreed through Cloud's voice. "Something in the degradation may have triggered a reaction in the J cells. Or not. There is no way to know. But for you, do you remember when this started? Knowing if something triggered it might actually help."

"It happened progressively," Angeal said, shaking his head. "There is no way to pinpoint a moment in time."

"But you had no symptoms before Genesis came to you in Wutai?" Sephiroth asked.

"No, of that I'm sure."

"You think Genesis, or more like Hollander, did something to him?" suggested Zack.

"That would require Hollander being aware of such a phenomenon, and I am still not convinced Shinra scientists ever recorded such an happening."

The doubt was still there in Sephiroth's voice. Meanwhile, Rain's mind was whirring in the background of Cloud's brain.

"If it really is the J cells, though," Zack insisted, "what can we do? I mean, they are a part of Angeal, right? How do we stop that? Cloud, any idea?"

Cloud was trying to keep his ears open both to the conversation around him and to Rain, but Rain was thinking a bit loudly.

"Uh," he said, startled. "I think… Hum…"

Thankfully, Rain came to his rescue.

"It might… Well, it's only really an hypothesis and everything, but… do you use your wings a lot, Angeal?"

The ex-SOLDIER gave a mirthless grunt.

"I rarely get rid of it, nowadays. It's kind of an useful tool for a fugitive. Why?"

"Well… it is… a manifestation of the J cells, so…"

A frown came to Angeal's brow.

"Are you saying this may be caused by the wings?"

"It may not be helping, at least. While you have it out, a lot of J cells are active…"

A big fist closed on his shirt and he nearly swallowed his tongue when Angeal dragged their faces close. He looked furious and Rain had gone tense with worry at the back of his mind.

"Do you think I'm stupid, trooper? I'm not going to let you strand me in Midgar to be picked up by Shinra—"

A gloved hand closed on Angeal's fist and Cloud rolled his eyes upwards to see Sephiroth give a deadly stare to his old friend.

"Drop him, Angeal."

Angeal stared right back.

"So help me, Sephiroth, if you are in league with this…"

"Come on, Angeal," Zack said.

From the corner of his eye, Cloud could see he had unsheathed his sword, but he looked unwilling to use it. If Cloud came to be in danger, though, he knew his friend would hesitate no longer. He relaxed a little.

"You are being unreasonable, man. If we had wanted to turn on you, we could already be battling you right now. With Sephiroth and me, we'd easily overpower you."

Angeal gave a nasty snarl.

"Is that your back-up plan, then?"

The man was obviously giving in to paranoia. Cloud saw Sephiroth's hand disappear, and a fraction of second later a sword passed a hair's breadth away from his nose. He was snagged by the back of his shirt and flung backward where he landed in Zack's arms. Zack staggered, just as startled as he was, then put him on his feet and pushed him behind his back. The ringing of blades meeting was already filling the alley.

Pale as a sheet, Cloud gaped at the collar of his shirt. A large bunch of tissue was missing where Sephiroth had cut to free him from Angeal's fist. Then he gaped at the two SOLDIER Firsts clashing in the middle of the alley.

It was a thing of beauty, watching them fight. Angeal's sluggish thoughts didn't reflect on his fighting style, and even if Sephiroth was only wielding a standard Shinra sword instead of his Masamune, he didn't seem diminished in any way.

'_The sword is going to give,'_ Rain said suddenly.

'_Huh?'_ Cloud stammered, still in awe.

'_Sephiroth is favoring his sword. It's too low-quality for this fight, it'll break if he give it his all. Send him yours.'_

'_It's even worse quality!'_

'_He'll make do. Do it!'_

Well, if Rain said so… Kneeling, he unsheathed his sword and sent it spinning on the floor toward the fighters.

"Sephiroth!"

Sephiroth barely needed the warning. Just as the weapon reached him, he hooked a feet under it and sent it flying to his right hand, without missing a beat or even glancing at it. Cloud watched in awe as he then proceeded to fight dual-handed, using the combination of both swords to take the edge out of Angeal's blows.

Zack chanced an impressed glance at Cloud. He had obviously been about to intervene.

"Good thinking, Spike!"

"Thanks…"

Cloud was beginning to feel overwhelmed. He was alone with no less than four master swordsmen, because yes, at this point it was obvious that Rain was one too, and it made him feel very small. Still…

'_Thanks for that. I know you don't like Sephiroth very much,'_ he told Rain.

'_Well, he did got you out of Angeal's range. And he is not the insane one right now.'_

With those mysterious words, he retreated to the back of his mind to watch the fight.

Despite the narrowness of the alley, Angeal had managed to take flight. It didn't slow Sephiroth much, though, as he was expertly jumping from wall to wall, barely affected by gravity. And then suddenly, he reared back in apparent free fall and shot a hand forward. A fireball flew from his equipped Materia. Angeal braced himself, but instead of heading to him, it struck right at his extended wings.

He screamed and collapsed to the ground, feathers aflame. Sephiroth landed gracefully, and an instant later he was behind his friend who was struggling to get to his feet. Zack took a step forward as if to stop it, but too late. One of Sephiroth's blades swooped down and Angeal's bloody and burnt wings fell to the ground, severed. Zack and Cloud both cringed.

Angeal collapsed back on his knees with a moan that was struggling not to turn into a scream. His arms braced him to the floor, shaking, and his sword lay forgotten in his hand.

"What… have you done…" he groaned.

"What you were obviously in no state to do yourself," Sephiroth answered calmly, flicking the blood from his weapons.

Zack was at his mentor's side in two strides.

"That may have been unnecessary," he protested, kneeling next to the man and taking his shoulder.

"Maybe," Sephiroth acknowledged. "Time will tell. You are not leaving Midgar, Angeal."

Zack gave him a startled look, in lieu of Angeal who kept his head bowed, defeated.

"I am not delivering you to Shinra, either. But I won't let you leave the city until I can ascertain for myself that no more of these outbursts will occur. I won't have a second Genesis running around."

"And if this changes nothing…" Angeal gasped. "If it changes nothing… will you kill me?"

A beat of silence resonated in the alley. Zack squeezed Angeal's shoulder and his face crumpled, but he said nothing. Cloud felt like a stranger.

"If this is your wish," Sephiroth answered, strangely expressionless.

Angeal nodded silently. After a beat, he let Zack help him to sit so he could treat his injury. Blood was running freely down the ex-SOLDIER's back, but before long the gentle glow of a healing Materia illuminated their faces.

"I could bring him to…" Zack said, breaking the silence.

"No," Sephiroth answered immediately. "She is under Turk surveillance."

Zack gave him a weird look.

"Right… I never did get the full story on that."

Cloud had no idea what they were talking about.

"Both of our absences would be noticed," Sephiroth said.

"And Cloud…" Zack began, glancing at him.

"… would not be able to resist Angeal in case something like this happened again. No offense, Strife."

Cloud mutely shook his head. After the fight he had seen, no way was he offended! Sephiroth gave a last look at the blade in his right hand, then flipped it and held it out hilt first to him.

"Thank you, by the way."

Cloud came forward to take it back.

"No problem, sir."

Zack gave Cloud a pale smile, then turned back to Sephiroth.

"How about Kunsel, then? He is a Second. If he kept Angeal under status alterations, he could guard him during the day, and I could relieve him from time to time so he could sleep."

"Hm," Sephiroth said. "Can you guarantee his loyalty?"

"Oh yeah, that I can. He knows Shinra isn't all flowers and sunshine. And… that Angeal is important to me."

"Then this seems like the best solution. We'll find a hotel, one not too curious about their clientèle."

'_Should not be too difficult in the slums,'_ Rain interjected dryly.

"You will spend the night there with him while Strife and I go back to Shinra. I will talk myself to Kunsel and he will come relieve you tomorrow morning. Is that suitable?"

"Yeah, works for me."

Zack sent a questioning glance to Angeal, but he just flopped a tired hand without answering.

"Guess it's a plan, then."

Zack slid under one of his friend's arms to help him stand. Cloud hurried to take Angeal's other side while Sephiroth retrieved his helmet. While Cloud stared, he expertly twisted his impressively long hair around his head and slid the helmet in place.

What remained of the severed wings was still smoking on the ground. Cloud noticed Zack glance sadly at the white feathers lying around. Sephiroth didn't seem to have as many regrets, because he didn't hesitate to use his fire Materia a second time before sheathing his sword. Well, Cloud thought, watching the fire consume the wings to ashes, it would probably have been suspicious to leave that kind of things lying around.

Still, like Zack he had to avert his eyes. It was difficult to think that something so beautiful could be responsible for so much pain.


	4. Chapter 3

**For info****:** I'm using information from the Final Fantasy Wiki to infer that Professor Gast was the one who secretly put Jenova in the Nibelheim reactor so that his esteemed colleague Hojo had no access to her. I'm fairly sure if Hojo had known where to find Jenova, he wouldn't have wanted her anywhere away from his Science Department, that big creep.

Also, please don't kill me after this chapter.

Published on: 08/14/2012

* * *

**Chapter 3**

* * *

Cloud's PHS buzzed. He raised his head with a snort, having nearly fallen asleep on his book. Damn, he had bought the thing because it was a recent bestseller and he wanted to learn a bit more about Genesis, but this compilation of his theories on LOVELESS, edited by the man's fan club after his death, was a bit overwhelming. Who knew you could deduce so much from poetry?

He snatched his phone from the bedside table and accessed his new email, yawning.

"_Hey Spike, our friend seems to be getting better. Want to come see him on Friday? Sourpuss will be there too! (that should convince you to come, right? (: )  
Zack"_

Cloud snorted and tried not to laugh at Zack's nickname for Sephiroth.

'_What do you think, Rain? Want to be there, too?'_

Rain didn't appear to be laughing, though.

'_It might be best. If Sephiroth starts to get curious about you, it could get very ugly very fast.'_

'_Oh, come on! What have you got against the man? He has never had a reputation for being anything other than scrupulously fair and just. He seemed interested in your info, too, so I hardly think he is going to harass me for leaking Shinra data.'_

Rain kept silent. Cloud put down both the PHS and the book.

'_Come on, Rain,'_ he said, suddenly very serious. _'You promised you'd explain things to me soon. How about we begin now? Why do you dislike Sephiroth?'_

Rain made a strangled sound, despite the fact that he was physically incapable of choking.

'_Dislike!'_

There was such a mix of emotions in this word that Cloud started. Disbelief, bitterness, and above all an incredibly deep sorrow were bleeding from Rain's mind. His brother made an obvious effort to control himself, probably not eager to repeat the Modeoheim incident. Cloud was left gaping from the near overwhelming grief he had only been allowed to glimpse.

'_Rain…'_

'_I don't dislike him, Cloud. Dislike is no word for what I think of Sephiroth.'_

'_Why?'_ he could only ask, helpless.

'_Because of possibilities,'_ Rain answered bitterly. _'Possibilities and potential and wasted lives. Because I'm afraid this is fate.'_

'_I don't understand.'_

'_Cloud. I'm from the future.'_

It came from so far out of left field that for a few long moments, Cloud's mind stayed blank. Rain could as well have been talking about the weather outside, for all the impact it had on him.

'_Uh… sorry, what?'_

Rain sighed.

'_I don't know how else to say it. It's not like there is any way to make it seem less crazy than it really is. I came from the future, Cloud.'_

'… _No way.'_

'_I am not joking. This is real.'_

'_You can't! You can't be serious! That kind of stuff doesn't happen in real life!'_

'_You met a man with wings. You live in a city where the sun refuses to shine. You have had someone talking in your head since you were six. What _is_ impossible, Cloud?'_

Cloud fell silent. He felt very dizzy, suddenly. But this was _Rain_. His brother may have had his own brand of humour, but he was sure he would never play such an elaborate joke. And he wouldn't lie, not to Cloud. He couldn't believe that.

But if he was neither joking, nor lying…

'_You are actually from the future.'_

'_Yes.'_

'… _Oh, Planet.'_

He got up, unsteadily walked to the sink and concentrated on remedying his suddenly dry mouth.

'_Okay. You are from the future. Right. Then what are you doing back here… or "now", I guess? Were you a scientist or something? Did something go wrong in an experiment?'_

Classic movie scenario, right? Rain snorted.

'_No, I am definitely not a scientist. It had more to do with the apocalypse.'_

'… _The apocalypse.'_

'_And the Planet wanting me to do something about it, if I had to guess.'_

'… _Guess?'_ Cloud asked faintly.

'_I didn't exactly get a warning. One minute, the world was ending, and the next I was in your head. Breathe, Cloud.'_

The reminder was not exactly pointless.

'_Right. So, the world is going to end. Uh, do I get to know when?'_

'_Never, if I get a say in it. Unfortunately, I'm pretty sure there was a glitch. I doubt me ending in your head was part of the plan. Still, I would rather not have involved you in this mess.'_

'_You said the same thing about Angeal, and I told you it was fine.'_

There was a beat of silence.

'_Wait. The apocalypse wouldn't have anything to do with Angeal or… or Sephiroth, right? Except… please don't tell me that it's why you don't like them.'_

Rain didn't answer.

'_Rain!'_

'_What do you want me to say, Cloud?'_ he snapped, and Cloud once more spotted the rampaging emotions behind his barriers. _'That no, your hero doesn't have the potential to end all life on the planet? To destroy the planet herself? That it's not a given that he'll do it if nothing is done to stop him? Do you want me to lie to you?'_

'_No!' _Cloud yelled, horrified. _'You can't say something like that. You don't know that!'_

'_I saw it, Cloud! I lived and fought through it! How dare you tell me—'_

His anger and pain were nearly full on filtering through and Cloud could already feel the headache coming. He concentrated on not swaying under the assault.

'_But the Sephiroth right now is not the one who would do that! He can't be! I don't know what could cause him to do that, but right now Sephiroth is a good person!'_

'_One who didn't hesitate to hurt someone he once called a friend!'_

'_He was doing what he thought was right! Rain, please… You know I hate fighting with you, but you have to hear me out! You say Sephiroth has the power to destroy everything… but what if you can make sure he won't? Think about what good he could do if he's so powerful!'_

'_I am trying not to!'_

It was nearly a shout, and so painfully raw Cloud felt tears come to his eyes.

'_Do you think it's easy, looking at him now and seeing what he could have become? But I'm done hoping, Cloud. I have no faith left. He took it all already.'_

Cloud closed his eyes against the tears and focused on breathing through the emotional turmoil—both Rain's and his.

'_Please, Rain…'_ he pleaded. _'Please, please, leave it a chance. For me. On Friday, promise me you'll keep your heart open and look at him, really look. And if you see nothing in him worth redeeming, if you can tell me it's already too late, then I swear I'll help you to the best of my ability. But if there is still hope, please, please don't discard it.'_

Rain said nothing. He just hovered there, radiating anger and bitterness, and still that same gaping grief that Cloud thought he understood a little, now. And then he retreated to sleep without a word, taking his raging emotions with him.

Cloud took a painkiller for his headache and prepared himself to a sleepless night.

* * *

When Friday evening came, Zack led him to a dingy hotel in the lower city. Cloud had seen the place when they had brought Angeal there, but no one had thought it wise to let him try to shake off potential tails on his own, not even Cloud himself. Rain could maybe have told him how to do it, but he was still in "power nap" mode.

He had not awakened since their argument, and Cloud was for once not looking forward to having him conscious. It was the first time in his life he had ever fought with his brother and it nearly made him sick with guilt. But he would still hold his position until Rain could tell him he was wrong and be a hundred percent certain of it.

Meanwhile, he had had a lot of difficulty sleeping these past few days. Finding out your brother was a time traveller sent to basically kill your life model to prevent him for destroying the whole planet would do this to you, he guessed. But he could hardly explain that to Zack, who looked worried about the bags under his eyes.

"You know," the First finally said when they exited the hotel elevator, "if it's because of all this, I'm really sorry I got you involved, Spike."

Cloud huffed and sent him a friendly shove.

"Stop that! I swear everyone I talk to lately will spend their time apologizing. I am here because I want to, okay?"

Zack smiled, genuinely moved, and looped an arm around his shoulders.

"You're an awesome guy, Cloud."

"I know. You can bask in my awesomeness, if you want."

Zack barked a laugh.

"Careful, little guy, I may be rubbing off on you!"

Cloud growled and made to pinch him for the jab at his height, but Zack evaded and knocked on the door they had reached, snickering. Cloud pouted, and tried not to feel too much dread as he prodded Rain awake.

The door opened before Rain had fully regained consciousness. Kunsel appeared in the opening, nodded to Zack and moved aside to let them come through.

"Hey, Cloud," he said as Cloud followed Zack in.

There was a hint of surprise in his voice. He had apparently not been warned that Cloud was involved. Cloud smiled back, rather surprised himself to see Kunsel in civilian clothes. It was not everyday the SOLDIER Second was seen without his helmet, so without the uniform? That was downright unexpected.

"Hi."

Kunsel made to get out.

"I'll be in the lobby, in case you were somehow followed."

"You got it!" Zack answered. "Thanks, Kunsel, you're the best!"

The SOLDIER smiled and closed the door, his footsteps fading in the corridor.

Cloud turned back to the room with no small amount of trepidation. Rain was awake and silent, nothing filtering from him.

The room was rather small, especially so with three large SOLDIERs in it. Angeal was sitting on one of the two beds, his back against the headboard. Sephiroth was already here, in the same uniform as last time, leaning against a wall out of sight of the door. Cloud tried not to stare at him, especially since the SOLDIER's intimidating gaze was already on Zack and him.

The mood would have been rather solemn if Angeal hadn't been smiling.

"Hey, Puppy. I was beginning to think you would ditch me here alone with Sephiroth."

Puppy? Cute nickname. Cloud wouldn't have pegged Angeal as the joking type.

Zack smiled bravely, but Cloud could tell he was affected to see his friend so light-hearted. Sephiroth had reported his gaze on the ex-SOLDIER, a hint of annoyance seeping through. Cloud found a chair on the opposite side of the room and sat to get out of the way. Zack went to sit on the free bed.

"Hey. How's it going?"

Angeal huffed, amused.

"No need to tiptoe around it. Sephiroth wasn't nearly as tactful. As I was saying, I feel fine. More than fine, in fact. You should know, Zack, you saw me sleeping. I haven't slept that well since… since the start of this mess."

Sephiroth tipped his head to Zack.

"Can you confirm it?"

"Yeah, after the first night, he slept like a baby while I was there. Kunsel said he napped a lot during the day, too. He didn't even need the sedatives."

Angeal leaned forward and sat crossed-legged. He rubbed his neck.

"I won't lie and say I'm all better. I still have brief moments of disorientation, but they are barely flashes compared to the perpetual fog I used to navigate through. My thoughts are considerably clearer."

"So it really was the wings, then. Good call, Cloud," Zack added, grinning at him.

His happiness was contagious and Cloud found himself smiling right back.

"Yes, it appears I do owe you my thanks," Angeal added. "Strife, was it? My thanks and my apologies, too. I'm glad you weren't harmed by my fault. Honour dictates I do not let such a debt unpaid. If there is anything I can do for you, please let me know."

"Uh…" Cloud could only answer, flummoxed.

He could see nothing left of the short-tempered, irrational man he had met before. Had the wing really made so much of an impact? No wonder Angeal had come for help, even despite what Zack had told him of the man's pride! And speaking of, Zack seemed nearly overjoyed to hear his stilted words about honour and debt.

Sephiroth, though, was frowning.

"Let's not rush to any conclusions. Before anything, I would like to know if there is any risk of a relapse. Strife, would you have any insight on this?"

Cloud gulped under the full weight of the slit pupils' piercing gaze, but to his relief, Rain didn't react hostilely to the scrutiny. He merely answered, and Cloud tried not to feel wounded by his monotone.

"It's difficult to say, but I'm pretty sure nothing will happen without a new trigger. There might be circumstances in which it would come back, but if he is aware of it, he might stand a chance of fighting the full effects."

"Circumstances?" Sephiroth repeated, raising a stern eyebrow.

Angeal had gone solemn too, obviously not liking the possibility of another instance of his ailment.

"Do you have any information, any at all, on these circumstances you speak of?" he asked, tense.

Cloud looked at his hands, pretending to think about it. Rain seemed reluctant to share the information, he could feel him weighing the pros and the cons of it. Finally, he yielded.

"If you were to come too close to the source of the J cells, I'm pretty certain it would happen again," Cloud said.

Instantly, Rain's hackles rose.

'_I don't like that look at all,'_ he hissed.

Cloud nearly forgot how glad he was to hear him speak to him again under the adrenaline that flooded him at his brother's alarm. He soon understood what he was talking about as he noticed the incredibly intense look Sephiroth was subjecting him to.

"The source of the J cells," the SOLDIER said slowly. "And how would your contact have heard of such classified information?"

"More importantly," Zack barged in, and Cloud was ever so grateful, "where is it, that Angeal can make sure to never go there? Cloud, any idea?"

Still shaken, Cloud shook his head. If Rain knew, he was not telling anytime soon and, after Sephiroth's reaction, he couldn't really blame him. But Zack's face fell, and Rain relented a bit.

"But I can tell you that to my knowledge, no one in Shinra knows either," Cloud was only too happy to add.

Now they looked downright confused.

"Huh?" Zack said. "But these cells they inject to new SOLDIERs…"

Cloud shrugged, mimicking Rain's bodyless answer.

"Probably spawned in laboratory from a limited supply, or something."

"I very much doubt Hojo would…" Sephiroth began, but Cloud was already shaking his head.

"No, Hojo doesn't know. Hollander doesn't either. That I can guarantee."

Sephiroth raised an eyebrow, hummed, and fell in a pensive silence.

"Well," Angeal sighed. "At least I'm warned. Thank you, Strife."

Cloud nodded.

"How about it, then?" Zack asked Sephiroth. "What do we do, now?"

"I still feel disinclined to let you leave Midgar," Sephiroth told Angeal. "We can't completely dismiss the possibility of a relapse, and your main way of transportation is gone. Without it, it would be much easier for Shinra to track you."

"But," Zack said slowly, "Angeal could come back to Shinra now, right? The wings are gone, and he never outright opposed the company. He even helped against Genesis."

Even he seemed doubtful, though. Sephiroth averted his eyes and Angeal shook his head.

"I very much doubt Shinra would be disposed to accept me back as anything else than a guinea pig in the labs. I'll pass, thank you."

"But…!" Zack tried to argue.

Angeal moved to sit on the edge of his bed and took Zack's shoulder.

"I'm sorry, Zack, but those days are gone," he said gently. "Even if I had the opportunity, I would not want to keep working for Shinra. Not when I have seen first-hand what they are capable of."

Zack kept his head down, but there was a stubborn frown on his face.

"There are good people in Shinra, though…"

"Yes. Like you, Sephiroth, Strife and Kunsel. But I wonder how long good people can stay in this company."

He was looking at Sephiroth as he said that, Cloud noticed with no small amount of trepidation. Sephiroth was looking right back, impassive.

"A fugitive with nowhere to go, fighting even to remember who he is. You are in no position to make that remark, Angeal."

Angeal lowered his head with a sad smile.

"That's true. But what is there in Shinra?"

"Truth."

They all glanced at Sephiroth, surprised.

"Truth?" Zack repeated. "What kind of truth?"

Sephiroth was looking at Cloud, eyes intense.

"Strife, your contact seems to have access to information I have been trying to get a hold of for months now. Do you think he would be willing to negotiate with me?"

Rain had retreated further in his mind, but Cloud could still feel the anger and the anxiety emanating from him. Even if he was not saying anything, Cloud knew better than to make foolish promises.

He sighed, shoulders slumping.

"I'm sorry, sir. I would really like to help you, but my friend actually doesn't trust you at all. When he realized you had been there the other day, well… it didn't go over well. I only persuaded him to help Angeal, nothing more."

Sephiroth's gaze slid to the ground.

"I see," was all he said.

He showed no outward reaction to the news, but Cloud could guess it was disappointing to him.

"I'll… I'll ask," Cloud could only say. "I'll try to tell him it's important for you. I can't… really guarantee more."

"I understand. Thank you."

An uneasy silence settled in the room. Finally, Angeal got up.

"Well. As for me, I intend to stay here a few more days to fully recover. I'll also consider my options, but despite what you say, Sephiroth, I doubt staying under Shinra's nose is really a good idea in the long run."

Sephiroth didn't answer. In the end, there was no ideal solution. Zack got up too.

"Angeal…"

Angeal smiled at him, a bit sad.

"It would probably be best if none of you came back to see me. You are putting yourself at risk. And poor Kunsel has sacrificed enough of his leave days to babysit me."

Zack lowered his head.

"So. I guess this is goodbye, huh. Think we'll see each other again, one day?" he asked, valiantly trying to smile.

Angeal put a hand on his shoulder, then engulfed him in a bear's embrace.

"Time will tell, Puppy. Don't forget me, okay?"

Zack managed a not too shaky laugh.

"Yeah, not a chance! You take care of yourself, Angeal."

"You too."

Angeal turned to Sephiroth.

"And you too, my friend. I don't like your looks, these days. You push yourself too hard."

Sephiroth closed his eyes and sighed, nearly inaudibly. For the first time, Cloud saw a hint of weariness on his face.

"Don't patronize me," he answered, but there was no bite to his voice.

He made to turn to the door but Angeal held out a hand to him. For a second, Sephiroth didn't move. Then he took it, and shook it. They stayed like that a few moments, looking in each other's eyes, and at that point, Cloud could really believe that they were good friends.

"Take care," Sephiroth said.

Then he let go, put on his helmet and got out of the room. Angeal sighed.

"I understand more and more what you said in Modeoheim," he told Cloud. "I hope when the time comes, I'll be able to help him. In the meantime, keep an eye on him?" he added towards Zack.

The SOLDIER nodded with a crooked smile.

"Yeah, you can count on me. I'll do my best!"

He made to get out too, and Cloud rose to follow him. He shook hands with Angeal, though he was still quite intimidated.

"Goodbye, Strife. Again, thank you for everything. I hope we meet again someday."

"Yeah…" he said, though he wasn't sure he really felt at ease with the man. "Goodbye, sir."

Cloud ducked under the arm Zack was holding the door with and went a bit further in the corridor, giving the two men some privacy. Sephiroth was nowhere to be seen.

'_Rain?'_ he asked tentatively.

He had felt him waver when Sephiroth had shown signs of tiredness. Cloud had looked at his idol today, really looked, and he had seen nothing of the monster Rain had seemed so afraid of. Sure, Sephiroth had kept to himself, and he had been somewhat cold towards Angeal, but he had never been so steely when talking to Cloud. Now that he thought about it, he probably held some grudge against Angeal and Genesis for leaving him alone in Shinra. That made sense. But that only went to prove he had been somewhat wounded by their behaviour, didn't it? How could that pain belong to someone meant to destroy every life on the planet?

'_Stop it!'_ Rain hissed suddenly. _'Just… stop it, Cloud.'_

Cloud complied sadly.

'_What have _you_ seen? Please, Rain.'_

'_I don't… I don't know. I don't know anymore. I need to think about this.'_

Rain retreated as far as he could go. Though it upset him, Cloud let him do so. Before long, Zack joined him and they began the sad journey back. Even Zack's smile was miles away from his usual carefree one.

* * *

There had been no warning, nothing at all.

One moment everything was fine, and the next…

It happened in the middle of the night.

Cloud woke with a start, pain exploding in his head and leaving him gasping for breath, his eyes wide open but seeing nothing. He stumbled out of bed, barely feeling himself hit the corner of some furniture. His first reflex was to reach for his sword, but there was nothing to fight. Nothing but the overwhelming pain that was making him feel light-headed and the bile rising to his throat.

He staggered blindly to the bathroom, still seeing nothing but blackness and frantic flashes of light he knew were only in his head.

When he had completely emptied his stomach and the pain started to recede, he was left slumped against the toilet, out of breath and trying not to faint.

What the hell had _that_ been?!

He automatically reached for Rain, and recoiled when a new, white-hot spike of pain struck and actually forced a strangled scream out of him. _What?_ Wait... He reached inward again and again, desperately trying to get through despite the feeling his head was about to burst. Each time he was left feeling as if he was sticking his fingers in an open wound, frantically searching for a limb that wasn't there anymore.

Rain was gone.

He retched bile for a very, very long time.

* * *

He was shaking like a leaf. Distantly, he could feel it. He was curled up on the floor near his bed. From the corner of his eyes, he could see a grey daylight beginning to seep in from the window. In a few hours, he'd be expected for duty. Except he couldn't, he couldn't do it, he couldn't...

He was alone.

For the first time in as far as he could remember, he was completely, truly alone. Not matter what was happening in his life there had always, always been the faint presence of Rain, of his brother, and he hadn't always been able to help, far from it, but just knowing he was there, that soon, _soon_, Cloud would be able to talk to him, share with him... And now he was gone and there was none of that left, because _how did you search for a voice in your head_?

He felt himself start to hyperventilate again and clung to his PHS as if to a lifeline. He couldn't stay alone, he felt he was going crazy. He wanted to call his mom, to tell her all about how _Rain was missing_, except she believed that Rain had just been a figment of his imagination and that he had been gone for years, and she'd just think he was already crazy and get worried out of her mind. And he was not crazy, he was not, and he loved his mother, but she was always so down-to-earth, there was no way she'd believe him.

So he did the next best thing and called Zack.

It took quite a few rings to get through and Cloud was starting to panic again, totally forgetting that most sane people were asleep at that time of the day. Sure enough, when he finally picked up, Zack sounded very sleepy.

"... Spike?" he mumbled.

"Zack," Cloud answered, and he was so relieved to hear his voice he nearly started bawling right there and then.

Something in his tone must have been alarming, because Zack instantly seemed wide awake.

"Whoa, Cloud, what's wrong? Where are you?"

"At home," he said in an altered voice, trying hard not to break down. "Zack, could you... could you come over? I need..."

He stopped then, unable to keep going or even to remember what he was trying to say.

"I'll be right there. Don't move, okay? I'm coming."

His voice was serious and worried and reliable and Cloud was trying not to think that Rain had always been there for him, too.

"O-okay..."

They hung up and Cloud went back to his battle against the tears pushing at his eyes. He couldn't just cry like a baby. He had promised himself he'd become strong, both for himself and for Rain. But it was so hard right now not to remember that he was only fifteen in a strange city far away from home, and suddenly utterly _alone_.

Zack was there in a record time of just under three minutes, and Cloud had totally kept his eyes on the time displayed by his PHS screen. The knocks came harsh and hurried, and he forced himself to get off the ground and stagger to the door. The panel slid open, Zack took one look at his face and barged in, taking him by the shoulders.

"What happened? What's wrong?"

Cloud felt himself begin to shake more than ever. Gritting his teeth in a mask of pain he couldn't even hope to hide, he shakily pressed the button to close and lock the door.

"So-someone... very important... is gone..."

Zack's mouth fell open in a wordless expression of sorrow. He engulfed him in a hug and no matter how much Cloud fought against it, the tears came. He started sobbing uncontrollably, desperately trying to stop. He didn't want Zack to see him like that. He didn't want to be a burden to him. He had only wanted to talk to someone, anyone, just to lighten the burning loneliness, and because he wanted so much to talk about Rain with someone who would just _understand_...

"I don't even know what happened," he sobbed. "One moment he was there and the next... I don't know what to do, Zack!"

Zack stirred him to sit on the bed, settling next to him.

"Wait, wait Spike," he murmured. "Slow down. D'you mean you and him were attacked or something?"

Cloud shook his head.

"No, there was... There was no one here. He just... he just disappeared, and I have no idea what happened or if he is even still..."

He closed his eyes, fighting both the tears and the urge to run once more to the bathroom. Rain couldn't be gone forever, he just couldn't!

Zack was pressing a comforting hand to his shoulder.

"Who are we talking about, Cloud? A friend? Someone from your family?"

Cloud had only ever told him about his mother, and he could see Zack was trying to figure out who could be so important to him. He shook his head again.

"You don't know him... Wait," he realized suddenly with a mirthless laugh. "Yes. Yes, you do. I told you about him. The person who helped me help... your friend."

Even now, he remembered to have enough sense not to say Angeal's name. Rain would have been proud. But Zack's eyes had widened.

"Your contact?" he hissed.

When Cloud nodded, he jumped from the bed, suddenly unable to stand still.

"Cloud, do you realize? Someone who leaks Shinra information, then suddenly disappears... This is bad!"

"I really doubt, I mean..."

Cloud felt his own eyes widen. He had not even thought of it himself, because there was no way anyone in Shinra would be aware of Rain's existence in the first place... was there? Except Rain had always alluded that Shinra was a frightening organization and that it was capable of far more and far worse that most people believed it to be. What _if_ they had realized someone was leaking information and they had traced it back to Rain somehow? But how would anything like that even be possible? Especially since there hadn't been anyone in the room when Cloud had awoken, of that he was sure.

But after all, what other option was there?

"I..." he gasped, not knowing anymore. "I..."

"This is bad," Zack repeated, quickly doing one or two squats.

Then he whipped his PHS from his pocket.

"I need to warn Sephiroth. Angeal too; if he is still in town... Damn."

Now Cloud was beginning to feel really alarmed. He had never seen Zack so worried.

"Zack..."

His friend turned to him, grim.

"We could all be in danger, Cloud. If Shinra learns about us and decides we have been conspiring or something... Damn."

He had not thought about that, not thought about that at all. He felt a chill go through him. If Shinra _had_ taken Rain, why would they not know about Angeal too? And Sephiroth, if Sephiroth was in danger because of this...

Zack was on the phone. He sighed, relieved, when the line was apparently picked up.

"Hey, it's me. Yeah, sorry about the time, man!" he laughed, sounding completely plastered.

Cloud raised his eyebrows, impressed. If anyone was screening the call, they were sure to dismiss it as a drunken shenanigan.

"Waitnodon'thangupyet!" Zack said in a breath. "I forgot to tell you I was going to _that place_, like, _right now_, and if you could come by that would be really..."

He suddenly got the phone away from his ear and Cloud heard the chilly answer from where he was sitting.

"_Good night, Zack._"

Definitely Sephiroth's voice. Zack sighed and closed his PHS.

"Well, hopefully he got the message..."

He turned back to Cloud.

"Hey... we need to be going. And I don't know if... just in case, pack what you would not want to leave behind, okay?"

Cloud gulped, but nodded. He didn't have much to pack anyway. The only "thing" he had ever cared about bringing with him anywhere was gone.

While he was quickly stuffing a bag with a change of clothes and some money, Zack got back on the phone. After a while, he shook his head, a worried frown creasing his brow.

"Can't reach Kunsel. I just have to hope the guy will be okay. You ready?"

Cloud swung his sword on his back and nodded. His face was still crumpled by grief, but determination had joined it. If there was even the slightest chance Shinra was involved in Rain's disappearance, then he had a shot at finding out what had happened to him.

They got out and sneaked in the sleepy upper city. It was still the wee hours of the morning and—Cloud checked his PHS—the first train wasn't due for another twenty minutes. He stayed close to Zack while they made their way to the station and tried not to pay to much attention to the utter silence in his head.

Thankfully, Zack was the type who could banter in the most tense of situations. It eased both of their nerves, and certainly made them less suspicious to the few early birds crossing the streets and waiting on the train platform.

Still, they were tense as they made their way to the decrepit hotel Angeal had been staying at. Cloud was about ready to burst with nerves when they finally made it and were greeted by a very sleepy employee.

"Room?" he asked in a bored tone.

Clearly, it wouldn't have fazed him to get new clients at the time most were starting to wake up.

"Nope," Zack greeted cheerfully. "Room 32 still booked?"

The man had no qualms in checking—so much for his clients' privacy.

"Sure."

"Thanks. Let's check it out," Zack told Cloud.

He nodded and they made their way to the third floor. They took the stairs, neither of them could have borne to wait for the elevator.

"Hopefully he's gone and someone else booked the room," Zack breathed.

It had been a few days since the last time they had come, it was possible. Zack made a beeline for the door and knocked firmly. After a while, a wary voice came from inside.

"Who is it?"

Zack deflated. Even Cloud could recognize Angeal's voice.

"Guess," Zack sighed.

A moment, then the door opened a crack and a single eye scanned them. Angeal opened wider and silently motioned them inside. His feet were bare and he was only wearing pants and his undershirt, but it was obvious he understood they would not be here if the situation was not worrying. He closed the door and turned to them.

"What happened?"

"Cloud's contact has disappeared."

Angeal's face became as grim as Zack's had been when he had learned the news.

"How? Were there signs of struggle, or...?"

Zack turned expectantly to Cloud, who found he couldn't answer.

"Huh..."

"It makes a lot of difference if he was taken willingly or not," Angeal said. "If he decided his loyalty was to Shinra after all..."

"No!" Cloud loudly exclaimed. "No way! You think he would have betrayed you? No way, Rain is not like that! He choose to help you, he would not have backed down now!"

Angeal was frowning.

"Betrayed me? Wouldn't that be betraying you too?"

Having seen Cloud's breakdown earlier, Zack caught up rather quickly.

"Cloud, have you known this... Rain... for long?"

Cloud deflated, realizing he was saying too much. He hadn't even meant to use Rain's name; it felt extremely weird hearing someone else say it.

Two precise knocks sounded at the door. Angeal raised an eyebrow at Zack, who sighed in relief.

"Thank the Planet, he came."

Angeal neared the door and asked in a low voice:

"Yes?"

"Let me in."

There was no mistaking that voice. Angeal opened the door and stepped aside to let a familiar SOLDIER Second come in.

Sephiroth removed his helmet and glared at Zack.

"This had better be good, Fair."

"Oh, it is. Like I was saying, Cloud's contact went missing."

"How?"

Cloud couldn't help an angry movement. They all turned to him, surprised. Normally he would have balked at the attention, but they were insulting his brother, his brother who had gone missing and was maybe even... just because he had been trying to help!

"_Look,_" he said, so angry he was nearly glaring at Sephiroth. "I know you think Rain may have betrayed us, but he wouldn't! I would know, Planet, it's my brother we are talking about, here!"

Quite a few eyebrows raised in the room.

"Your brother?" Zack exclaimed. "You never told me you had a brother!"

"Strife," Sephiroth said, frowning. "I took the liberty of checking your file when we first met. Your only recorded family is a mother in Nibelheim."

Cloud sighed.

"That's because Rain and I aren't blood related. We just... I grew up with him, okay? I have known him for as long as I can remember and he has always been there for me. He raised me nearly as much as my mother did."

"And yet he let you join Shinra when he obviously knew what it was capable of?" Angeal asked, doubtful.

Cloud had no qualm glaring at him, which was clearly surprising to all three SOLDIERs in the room.

"He said it was my choice, that he couldn't possibly take that from me! I knew he didn't approve of it, but I still made that choice!"

"Guys, guys," Zack said, trying to placate everyone, "we don't have time for this."

"Zack is right," Sephiroth sighed. "Even if that "Rain" was taken against his will, eventually, he will talk. If it is Shinra that has him, we are the next targets."

The cool certainty with which it was said sent a chill down Cloud's spine. "Eventually, he will talk"? Could you even torture a bodyless soul? Cloud fervently hoped not.

"They can't go against their only two SOLDIER Firsts, though," Zack argued. "Especially with Sephiroth's reputation. Right?"

"I wouldn't put anything past Shinra at this point," Angeal answered bitterly. "If you are killed, they wipe out a part of the city with you and they can claim it was a tragic catastrophe and you died trying to save lives. If you are taken alive, well, I don't want to know exactly how manipulative they can get... with needles or otherwise."

"Dude!" Zack exclaimed, eyes wide. "Think maybe you've got too much imagination?"

"I am... uncertain how far-fetched this would be," Sephiroth said.

He sounded grim, and his faltering meant a lot.

"But if we are worrying for nothing, then it's us leaving that would make us targets," Zack reasoned.

"In any case, Angeal needs to leave."

Said man was already dressing and strapping his sword on.

"I agree. Besides, this place makes me feel boxed in and the walls are too thin for this conversation. Let's get out of here."

In that they all agreed. They filed out of the room and out the back door of the building, and set off through small alleys towards one of the city main gates. They were painfully remarkable, with one man in full SOLDIER garb and two others carrying huge swords, and Cloud didn't see how they could ever hope to make it if Shinra was after them.

Zack and Sephiroth were still arguing in hushed voices about the necessity of fleeing the corporation. Angeal slipped to the back of the group without Cloud noticing. Two minutes later, there was a scuffle behind them and Zack, Sephiroth and Cloud all drew their swords.

Angeal was battling a red-headed girl in a black suit that Zack seemed to recognize.

"Cissnei!" he gasped.

Right on cue, nearly a dozen men and women in black suits—Turks, Cloud realized—emerged from adjacent alleys or downright fell from the sky. They had them surrounded in a heartbeat.


	5. Chapter 4

**Note:** I am a bad, bad author. I leave you with possibly one of the worst cliff-hangers in the story and then proceed to disappear for nearly a month. Believe me, I am ashamed. That being said, to show you how truly sorry I am, I'll be posting **two chapters** today! So don't forget to check out chapter 5 after this one!  
(My thanks and answers to anonymous reviewers are at the bottom of this page.)

Published on: 09/09/2012

* * *

**Chapter 4**

* * *

Sephiroth, Zack and Cloud found themselves back to back, eyes on the ring of Turks all around them.

"Too bad, yo," another red-head, a guy this time, said. "Would have been easier if we could have waited 'till Hewley went off on his own."

Angeal disengaged the girl he had been fighting and backed off towards his friends and Cloud.

"You were followed, Zack," he growled quietly.

"Oh man, Cissnei," Zack could only groan.

The red-headed girl—Cissnei—shrugged, looking somewhat apologetic.

"Sorry Zack, business is business. You managed to throw me off your tail quite a few times when coming here, so I figured you were hiding something important."

Someone emerged from the shadows, and Cloud started when he recognized him.

"Tseng!"

Somehow, having to oppose someone he had previously fought side by side with made this seem much more sinister… although the Turk looked completely unaffected.

"Strife. Zack," he said, nodding to said SOLDIER. "And... Sephiroth, I presume?"

Sephiroth pulled his helmet off and threw it away, not dropping his battle stance for a second. He looked just as calm as Tseng.

"I admit I had not expected you to be involved in this, Sephiroth," Tseng said. "For Angeal to come back to Midgar was reckless enough, but for you to become his accomplice..."

"Enough about that!" Zack growled, menacing. "What have you done with_—_"

"Zack," Sephiroth cut off, not taking his eyes off Tseng. "That's not what they are here for."

Tseng tilted his head, clearly intrigued.

"We are only here for Angeal," he conceded. "If you agree to not stand in the way, we will overlook your collaboration with him. I'm sure the President will accept your will to help a friend, but understand that we cannot leave him to wander freely, especially after what happened with Genesis. I am sure you see my point, Sephiroth."

Zack was nearly growling, and didn't seem in the slightest disposed to let the Turks take Angeal away. Cloud could understand that. Zack had been unwilling to openly betray Shinra just minutes before, but if it was his friend and mentor's life on the line, it was obvious he'd do it in a heartbeat.

As for Cloud... well, his loyalty to Shinra was non-existent in the face of his loyalty to Zack, especially since he had learned so much about the corporation from what had happened to Angeal and what few things Rain had told him. His only worry was that Sephiroth might not follow. He had said he had things to do in Shinra. Would he be willing to betray Angeal to get to this truth he was searching for? And if so, what would Cloud do?

"And, Angeal," Tseng was saying, "please do not think about escaping by flying. We have the rooftops covered."

Sephiroth scoffed. Cloud still felt a little weak in the knees when he heard that voice. Would he be able to leave Shinra without Sephiroth? But then...

"Thanks for the warning," that very same voice said.

A fireball exploded right in Tseng's face and the Turk went flying. Before Cloud could even understand what he was seeing, an arm looped around his waist and he was projected right through the residual fire, barely remembering to protect his face. Sephiroth's booted feet hit the ground and Cloud's own barely did the same before he was driven forward at a pace he hadn't thought his legs could sustain. They couldn't, by the way. Sephiroth was half carrying him. Cloud's brain was still trying to assimilate that.

He heard cries and the clang of weapons behind them, then two heavy set of footsteps that could only belong to Zack and Angeal. Gunshots rung from the rooftops, and Cloud nearly felt his heart stop when he saw Sephiroth's sword rise in impossibly quick strikes to intercept a few bullets.

Shinra's Number One SOLDIER led them through a complete maze of streets, seemingly knowing perfectly well where he was going. Cloud was desperately trying to sustain the rhythm so as to not burden him, but his weight didn't seem to make much of a difference to the man. Turks were quick, and bullets still sometimes rained around them, but they were loosing ground.

Then they reached a new street and suddenly, three black suits were waiting for them. Zack and Angeal shot forward to intercept the Turks, while Sephiroth simply jumped over them—jumped! that far from the ground, Cloud's heart nearly stopped—and raced to a nearby pick-up truck with the logo of the Shinra company.

He none too gently threw Cloud in the back, and Cloud tried to not feel too offended and to not hit his head against the hard metal, while his idol wrenched the door open and threw himself at the wheel. The vehicle came to life and burst forward with a whine of overworked tires. They passed the battle and Angeal and Zack flawlessly jumped in the back, with Zack adding the nice touch of an Earth spell to unbalance their enemies.

Cloud bunched himself in a corner and tried to not be in the way when Angeal moved forward to knock on the driver's back window.

"We can't use a Shinra vehicle!" he yelled above the engine. "They'll just track us!"

"I know," Sephiroth answered calmly. "But I needed to get this back."

He reached down to the feet of the passenger seat and Cloud felt himself pale, then begin to turn green. Having motion sickness was already hard enough when the driver was _looking at the road_. Sephiroth raised a duffel bag and a long package swathed in fabric. There was no doubt that this was the famous Masamune.

"Eh," Angeal said. "Came prepared for anything, did you?"

Sephiroth grunted, his eyes mercifully back on the street.

"So we need another car?" Zack yelled.

"I can do that!" Cloud exclaimed.

Angeal and Zack turned to look at him expectantly.

"Well, if you are alright with illegally acquired vehicles, anyway," Cloud smiled, happy to feel useful.

Angeal frowned, but Zack elbowed him and smiled back.

"I'm sure we'll live, Spike."

Two minutes later, Sephiroth stopped in a deserted street with a scream of abused brakes. Just when Cloud was really beginning to feel ill, too. He was only too happy to hop down and run to a nearby car. Not of prime age maybe, but he seemed to remember this brand had good engines. They didn't have much time, so he smashed the window in and opened the door from the inside. He silently apologized to the owner; hopefully they could afford to lose a car.

"Hey!" someone screamed from one of the nearby buildings, making him cringe. "What are you band of thieves doing?! Just wait until I get down here and...!"

Zack jovially raised his sword to salute the man.

"You have a good sense of civic duty! Keep it up!"

Seeing such an upbeat man with such a large and heavy sword was apparently too much for the man's sense of civic duty. Meanwhile, Cloud had brushed the glass fragments from the driver seat and was fiddling with the wires under the dashboard. Zack leaned in and whistled in admiration.

"Where did you learn that, Spike?"

"Rain," he grunted. "He had... has a thing for mechanics. More of a motorbike guy, though."

"Taught you useful skills, that's for sure."

That was probably sarcasm, but Cloud got back to him when the engine sputtered to life. He let out a cry of delight. But suddenly he could hear several cars approaching and it seemed like a very bad sign.

Cloud barely saw Zack move from the door before Sephiroth appeared, took him by the back of his shirt and flung him in the passenger seat. It was getting harder and harder to not feel offended to be such a lightweight, but he quickly retrieved his dangling legs so Sephiroth could seat. Zack and Angeal threw themselves in the back and they were gone in the flashy, mechanic abusive way Cloud was learning to recognize as Sephiroth's preferred driving method. Rain would have hated that. Cloud's stomach did too, though for completely different reasons.

Bullets rained behind them, but the Turks were still too far away in the narrow alleys to catch up to a SOLDIER with superhuman reflexes. Five minutes later, they were out of the city.

* * *

Cloud was curled up in the passenger seat, utterly miserable. Sephiroth was throwing him curious looks.

"I apologize for manhandling you earlier, Strife. This was the most efficient way at the time."

Cloud nodded shakily, not opening his eyes nor his mouth for fear of vomiting.

"Are you ill?"

"Oh man," Zack exclaimed from the backseat. "I had totally forgotten! You've got motion sickness, right, Cloud?"

Cloud groaned in misery.

"Well, congratulations Sephiroth. Your driving probably didn't improve anything," Angeal said with what seemed to be his usual brand of dry humour.

"You know perfectly well I am an adequate driver when the situation doesn't call for mindless speed," Sephiroth answered.

If Cloud hadn't known better, he would have said the man sounded offended.

"I apologise Strife, but I'm afraid we can't stop until we're sufficiently far away from Midgar. If you need me to pull over, though, please say so."

Well, his role model was talking to him and politely worrying about his health. He could at least find the strength to open his mouth.

"Don't worry about me, sir," he said in a hoarse whisper. "I'm used to this. I'll be fine."

Then he shut up, because he could feel his stomach start to heave. Damn, this sucked. He couldn't even complain to Rain, who'd always been sympathetic, because _someone_ or _something_ had gone and stolen his brother from him! Speaking of which...

"What did you mean about the Turks?" he quickly blurted, before the others could start another line of discussion or his stomach decided to veto the motion. "That they weren't there about Rain?"

Zack had been trying to ask to Tseng what they had done to Rain, and Sephiroth had interrupted. What did he know that Cloud didn't? He peeked through his eyelashes and found Sephiroth's piercing cat eyes watching him.

"Yeah, I had been wondering about that," Zack said.

Sephiroth returned his eyes to the road.

"You heard Cissnei and Tseng. The Turks were here because Cissnei was following you and your behaviour tipped her on Angeal's presence in the city. They were here to recover Angeal, and only that. They were clearly unwilling to bring you or me into the battle, Zack. And you saw Tseng's reaction when you nearly asked him about Strife's brother: he didn't know what you were talking about."

"Then Shinra doesn't have Rain?" Zack asked.

Cloud's hope deflated.

"That, or he was taken by a department that wasn't the Turks'—which seems unlikely—or they have him but they know nothing about his accomplices."

"Which would mean Rain hadn't talked," Angeal said.

"Yes."

There was a beat of silence.

"Then, it's pretty certain Cloud's brother didn't betray us, right?" Zack asked.

"It seems that way."

Cloud heaved a sigh of relief. He could not have borne it if they had all kept doubting Rain.

"Very well," Angeal conceded. "Then Strife is here for his brother, and Zack is here because puppies are notably too loyal."

"Hey, quit it with the puppy thing, would you?"

"But why are _you_ here, Sephiroth? I know you, you could easily have accepted to stand aside and still not helped in my capture. That's what I expected you to do."

Cloud had to open his eyes, surprised. He saw Sephiroth slid an unreadable glance to the rear-view mirror.

"Did you, now?"

Angeal barely looked apologetic.

"You always were goal-driven, Sephiroth. A few days ago, you refused to leave Shinra, stating there was information you were after. What changed?"

A slow smirk made his way to Sephiroth's lips.

"Tseng."

"Huh?" Zack grunted, lost.

"Tseng was kind enough to reveal Strife's contact was apparently trustworthy. Strife, your brother was the only source in my reach that ever seemed to hold the kind of information I want _and_ willingly revealed part of it. Do you understand?"

Cloud stared, motion sickness nearly forgotten in his awe.

"You want to find Rain."

Sephiroth nodded, eyes on the road. The wind rushing in from the broken window kept playing with his hair. Cloud felt his hero-worship awaken with a vengeance. Here he was, seating right next to his idol who actually wanted to save the most important person in his life.

"Well, if we are finding Rain, then why are we driving _away_ from Shinra?" Zack actually said.

"We". Zack had said "we"!

"Zack..." Cloud said hoarsely.

His friend reached out and ruffled his hair, laughing.

"Come on, you didn't think I wouldn't help, right? I mean, the guy helped Angeal. It's only fair!"

"Yes, quite," Angeal promptly said. "Honour dictates such a debt does not remain unpaid."

Cloud's eyes nearly bugged out. Angeal too? There were _three_ SOLDIER Firsts ready to help Cloud Strife, trooper un-extraordinaire, find his missing brother? This was surreal.

Sephiroth didn't sound phased at all.

"We are driving away, Zack, because the Turks will be on high alert looking for us right now. When they figure out we left Midgar, they won't expect us to come back. Then we can slip in with more chances of success. Besides, we need a safe place to regroup, rest and plan."

"Oh, right. Sounds good."

A short silence fell in the car. Despite everything that had happened, the sun was barely rising. Now that the adrenaline was gone, Cloud was beginning to feel the exhaustion of the night creeping on him. Apparently, Zack did too.

"Well," he yawned, stretching. "Wake me up if you need me."

That being said, he settled in his seat and promptly fell asleep. Cloud tried to do the same despite the heavy discomfort of his roiling stomach. In his semi-asleep state, he could hear Angeal and Sephiroth talking in hushed voices. There was something soothing about their calm, low tones, as if they hadn't all just become fugitives alone against the most powerful organization on the planet.

Cloud soon slipped under.

* * *

He awoke with a start, covered in sweat and Rain's name on his lips. Angeal turned to look at him, but then quickly returned his attention to the trees around them.

It was their second week away from Midgar, and by then Zack, Angeal and Sephiroth had all gotten used to the nightmares that shook him from his sleep a few times per night. It had been especially embarrassing the first time it had happened, in the car while they were fleeing from Midgar, but by now Zack wasn't the only one getting worried.

He had heard Angeal and Sephiroth wonder if he was suffering from post-traumatic stress from Rain's disappearance, especially since the only thing they ever managed to get from him when they asked how he had discovered his brother was missing was incoherent and nearly tearful babbling.

Yep, embarrassing alright.

Cloud sighed and got up, deciding he didn't want to try and go back to sleep. He approached Angeal instead.

"Do you want me to relay you?" he whispered.

Angeal seemed to consider it, then nodded in acceptance. He rose and made his way to his own sleeping bag. Cloud settled to watch the camp for the last hours before daybreak.

They had managed to get supplies by stopping in a few towns and gathering what they needed in modest quantities at a time. At least they had more than the contents of Cloud and Sephiroth's bags, and the clothes Angeal and Zack had had on their backs. It was a good thing, since they couldn't afford to spend more than one night at a time at an inn. Their whole group was already too remarkable as it was, if the Turks decided to ask around for two muscular men, a tall one and a teenager. When in town, they did their best to never be seen together and generally split in two pairs: Cloud and Zack, Angeal and Sephiroth.

Cloud was grateful he hadn't left Midgar in his Shinra grunt uniform. He had kept the shoulder guards and the practical brown shoes and gloves, but the scarf, the knee guards, the blue tunic and pants would have been too noticeable. He had replaced them with a long-sleeved undershirt, a tan leather plastron and some sturdy black pants. Angeal and Zack had since their escape had to make similar changes to their SOLDIER First attires; even Angeal understood that while travelling in a group and without his wings, he had to make concessions to discretion.

Surprisingly, the most reluctant one had been Sephiroth. Cloud sneaked him a glance over his shoulder. Every time they entered a town, Sephiroth had to hide his too recognizable hair under a cap and his eyes behind sunglasses. The leather had to go, too, to be replaced by a dark grey turtleneck and some sensible pants. Though Sephiroth bore it stoically while they were in town, he hadn't seem to appreciate it when Angeal had one day suggested it might be best he keep the disguise on at all times.

"You really stand out," Angeal had reasoned. "The roads may not be as populated as the cities, but we are bound to be noticed anyway. We don't need your hair giving us away."

"I hope for your sake you are not suggesting I cut it, Angeal."

"I am not that suicidal…"

Cloud admitted to himself he was a little surprised that Sephiroth had been so vexed by Angeal's suggestion. Although the SOLDIER had disguised himself before and had eventually conceded this was necessary, for the next few hours he had kept on a frown that suggested it really didn't agree with him. Cloud still sometimes caught him sliding a longing glance to the bag where his leather uniform now resided permanently. Did Sephiroth regret it because it was more practical or—dare he think it?—because of vanity?

Cloud felt his lips twitch and turned back before his staring woke Sephiroth up. Wouldn't Rain love to know the man he feared could be immature over something as inconsequential as his clothes? Cloud's smile dropped before it was fully formed. He'd give anything to be able to tell him.

Cloud rubbed his tired eyes and grimly focused on his watch.

* * *

"When _are_ we going back?" Zack asked over breakfast. "Not that I don't love you guys to bits and that spending time camping in the wild and playing spies in Kalm isn't fun, but this is gonna get, you know, boring."

"Same old Puppy," Angeal sighed.

"You're just saying that because you miss your flower girl," Cloud snorted with a pale sliver of humour.

"Hey!"

Zack gave him a shove, but as he was obviously happy he had made a joke, it lacked any real edge.

"I'll have you know I'm worried about Kunsel," he replied haughtily. "We still don't know for sure that the Turks aren't aware he was involved."

"We can't go back so soon," Sephiroth said. "There has been no mention of your absence or mine on the radio news, which means they are still unsure of how to cover up for our disappearance. They might have a plan to bring us back in the company's folds or to eliminate us. They'll be looking for us."

"Not to mention we have yet to find a suitable plan to get information on Rain's location," Angeal added. "If the Turks have him, this will be very hard."

"Indeed."

"Well, what if they get him out of Midgar while we wait? It will be ten times harder to find him, then!"

Cloud frowned at his breakfast. He had had a while to think this over. Until now he had kept secret the true nature of Rain, but… what if there was really no way Shinra had him? These dreams he kept having… were they really just the result of a traumatic experience? How come, then, that they were so clear and always so repetitive?…

He sneaked a look at the three arguing SOLDIERs. They were all here to find Rain. Whether or not it was Shinra they were going after, didn't he owe them what few information he might have? He couldn't tell them everything, because there was no way they'd believe the soul of a warrior from the future had been in his head since he was a child, but…

"Hey, hum… everyone…"

They all expectantly turned to him.

"Did you remember something, Strife?" Angeal asked. "Anything might be useful."

Cloud fidgeted nervously. Zack swung an arm around his shoulders and smiled reassuringly at him. Angeal and Sephiroth had probably told him about their PTSD hypothesis.

"It's just… it's not…"

He sighed, defeated, and put his bowl down.

"Look, you're all going to think this is weird and all but… I might have… a clue on where Rain is right now."

"That's great, Cloud!" Zack said, enthusiastic. "Well, where is he?"

"I don't… know that exactly."

They seemed puzzled. Cloud burrowed his hands in his blond spikes and tried not to lose courage.

"Like I said, you're all going to think that this is weird and that I'm not a hundred percent sane, but… you've got to believe me. I've got a really, really good reason to think my nightmares are clues to Rain's location right now."

Angeal and Sephiroth exchanged knowing looks. Zack looked startled and hesitant.

"Uh, Spike…"

"No!" he yelled. "Please, you have got to trust me! I am not saying that because I am traumatized or whatever. There really _is_ a good reason why these dreams could be more than they seem, I promise! I may not be able to tell you why right now, but it's true!"

Rain had spent so much time in his head, who said he couldn't be trying to send a message to Cloud through his dreams?

Sephiroth hummed, his face unreadable.

"And besides," Cloud soldiered on, heart hammering in his chest, "you said we can't go back to Midgar right now. Well, if these dreams are true, then Rain is not in Midgar. What have we got to lose if we check it out rather than play hide-and-seek for a few more weeks?"

"He's got a point here," Zack said, smiling feebly.

Cloud could have kissed him. Even if he may have said that to escape the boredom of more time stuck camping in the forest.

"You have to admit," Sephiroth began calmly, "that this is a rather suspicious claim, Strife."

Cloud lowered his head, disheartened.

"After all, none of us have even met this Rain. You are our only guarantee that anyone went missing in the first place, let alone that a man named Rain does exist."

He stared at Sephiroth, startled.

"Hey!" Zack protested. "I have known Cloud for months now. He is no liar! Besides, what would he have to gain from all of this?"

"I wonder," Sephiroth murmured.

He looked pensive, and his slit green eyes were locked on Cloud. With a shiver, Cloud realized what he meant. For all Sephiroth knew, Cloud could be completely delusional and have tricked himself into thinking he had a brother named Rain. After all, Cloud grew up a lonely child in a backwater town, and he had exhibited rather suspicious behaviour since they had fled Midgar: the nightmares, the panic fits when they questioned him. He might have seemed insane for less than that. He would know; it was exactly because of that that he had never told another soul about Rain.

He opened his mouth, feeling nauseous, but he had no idea what to say to protest.

Thankfully Zack clapped his shoulder, looking protective.

"Hey, listen," he said defensively, "whether or not Cloud is right, it's like he said: we've got nothing to lose if we check it out."

"You say that, but we don't even know where it is he would have us going," Angeal argued. "I am not saying I don't believe you, Strife. I have certainly seen my share of strange happenings lately. But it _is_ a surprising claim to make."

Cloud nodded, still feeling faint, but a little better. At least Zack and Angeal were willing to give him the benefit of the doubt, and Sephiroth didn't seem inclined to outright disagree with them.

He closed his eyes and sighed, releasing a little of the tension that had accumulated in his shoulders.

"Well... My dreams always start the same way. I'm flying over a very large body of water, probably an ocean. I am going right towards a coast, getting there fast. The nearer I get, the more I see forests, mountains and lot of snow. I'm pretty sure it's the Northern Continent, even though I've only ever been there once on that mission to Modeoheim."

He gave them an interrogating glance. Zack nodded, encouraging him to continue.

"Then the scene switches, and I am at the edge of a forest. It's a very weird one. It's dense, and it looks dark under the trees, but I think the trunks are all white. There is a strange atmosphere, too—like it's really silent."

Angeal frowned.

"A forest on the Northern Continent, that's somewhat vague. Especially since some of the details could just come from your subconscious. It is a dream, after all."

Cloud shrugged, not knowing how to answer that.

Sephiroth sighed and gracefully got up.

"Well, if it's decided, we might as well get on our way. Let's go get the car."

* * *

Finding a boat for the Northern Continent was no easy task since they were still trying to be inconspicuous. They abandoned their stolen car and bundled all the swords together in a package they swathed in fabric so that Angeal could carry it on his shoulder.

Sephiroth had to spend the entire crossing with his cap and sunglasses on or holed up in his cabin, and it clearly grated on his nerves. It would have amused Cloud if it hadn't been his fault in the first place the man had to hide. And for what? A chimera for all the SOLDIER knew. He didn't think Sephiroth was very happy with him right now.

Once on the continent, they just might have had to try all the forests around if it hadn't been for Zack's friendliness and a providential inn-keeper who happened to have quite an interest in the local legends.

Within a few days, they were standing at the edge of the so-called Sleeping Forest… Too bad they had already been there five minutes ago and had been aiming for the other side of the woods.

"Right," Zack said, blinking. "I think I am starting to get what that guy at the inn was saying."

"Fascinating," Sephiroth said, eyeing the trees with growing interest. "I was certain we were heading to the North."

"This is not good," Angeal sighed. "How are we going to go through?"

"Any idea, Spike?"

"Sorry, no. The dreams just go right through the forest… But it's definitely this one, I can tell."

"Shoot. Well, can't we just go around it? Where are we going anyway? What happens next in your dreams?"

"A city…" he said hesitantly. "I think there is a city in there; but it's deserted… at least in my dreams it is."

"A city in the forest?" Angeal asked, doubtful. "It seems strange. I have never heard of any city of importance around here, even an historical one."

"I am ready to believe it," Sephiroth said, to all of their surprises. "Strife told us of a forest with a strange atmosphere, and here we are… My sense of direction has never been as thoroughly fooled as in these woods. I can readily believe they have their load of secrets."

"We still have no way of going through, though," Zack whined.

"We'll have to see if we can find anyone living around here, maybe a village," Angeal suggested. "They may have more information."

"Or Cloud's dreams could decide to be a little more helpful," Zack said, addressing a hopeful look to his friend.

Cloud grimaced and shrugged.

"Don't get your hopes too high on that."

Cloud's dreams did decide to be a little more helpful. After a few hours of following the edge of the forest without seeing any traces of habitations, they camped not too far from the trees. Barely two hours later, Cloud woke all of them up.

"A harp!" he blurted, eyes wide. "We have to dig up a harp!"

The three SOLDIERs exchanged weird looks. Cloud could tell it would take a while to convince them, this time.

* * *

"I still can't believe this worked," Zack repeated, awed.

The forest was definitely not sleeping anymore. The tall white trees may have been intimidating, but birds were chirping and the underbrush moved a few meters away, betraying the presence of some small animal. Most importantly, it had been half an hour already and they had yet to end up at their starting point.

"Thank the Planet," Sephiroth answered wearily. "I just might have had to skewer you if all this digging had been for nothing, Strife."

"R-right."

Cloud gulped, not reassured in the least by the man's calm. Who knew Sephiroth could be so impatient? But finding the harp had been a long process, and they had had to go back to a town for digging utensils, too, which had made them lose a day and had given everyone plenty of time to doubt this would ever work. Cloud had been the first one to do so—his dreams had led them true until now, but the harp thing had seemed really random.

Well, if this was working, then it was a definite proof his dreams were more than that, right? It meant Rain had to be in that deserted city!

"We shouldn't be far, now," he whispered, heart beating fast.

He was unable to mask the growing hope in his eyes. Zack swung an arm around his shoulders and squeezed, smiling reassuringly.

"I'm sure we'll find him, little guy."

Cloud didn't even frown at the height jab. Angeal and Sephiroth too looked to be in high spirits. Evidently, they had drawn the same conclusion he had: there was no longer any trace of doubt in their eyes.

Sephiroth tugged on his gloves. He had put his leather battle-gear back on that morning, and Cloud wondered if he expected a fight. Like the strange tree trunks, his silver hair seemed to catch all the light under the canopy.

Within a few hours, they reached the Forgotten City.

* * *

Silence had befallen the group. The abandoned city was an awe-inspiring sight, and it even got to Cloud, who at this point could barely think about anything other than his brother.

"Who could have built all that?" Zack whispered, intimidated.

No one answered him.

If its guardian forest had awoken, the city hadn't. It stood sprawling and silent, its streets large and strangely organic against a stratified ground littered with what seemed to be seaweeds and corals. Only the wind whispered in the abandoned doorways and the blind windows of the shell-like buildings.

Cloud led them through the middle of the town. The main street headed straight to a tight grove of these strange white trees and slipped in. In a clearing among the trees, a lone, big shell house stood overlooking a pond. A single column of sunlight illuminated the scene. There was such a strong feeling of peace here that Cloud would have wanted to linger if he hadn't been so intent on finding Rain.

"In here?" Sephiroth said in a low voice.

He looked wary, and he probably was whispering less by deference like Zack had been, and more so as to not alert any potential enemies.

"There is a passage to an underground area," Cloud answered in kind.

Sephiroth nodded and pointedly took the lead, Masamune in hand. It felt somewhat blasphemous to see a weapon drawn in this place. Cloud shook the thought out: he was here to get his brother back, even if it meant battling whoever took him.

They didn't encounter anyone inside, though. They silently searched the house, until Zack at last stumbled on the hidden passage. Sephiroth slithered inside and Cloud immediately followed him, Zack and Angeal bringing the rear.

It soon became clear this place was even stranger than the whole city. The more they descended, the more it seemed like they were going down _stairs of light_, and the darkness all around was so thick it felt like void. Cloud could not even see or touch walls anymore. He concentrated on the stairs and tried not to think of what would happen if he tripped and fell.

"This is crazy," Zack breathed from behind him, and Cloud could only agree.

It became even more so when they saw their destination: suspended in the darkness below them, ramparts of light wrapped around an island of solidity. Through the translucent walls, they began to discern buildings. Soon, they set foot on the strangest assembly of turrets and catwalks, almost like someone's unfinished castle.

Sephiroth signalled them to stay back and Cloud obeyed, heart in his throat. The SOLDIER silently glided forward to take a peek at the rest of the light encased place. In the quiet, Cloud heard the gasp he couldn't quite muffle and gulped, hand tightening around the handle of his sword.

But Sephiroth motioned them forward and Cloud rushed in, breathless. He never could remember the end of his dreams. He remembered the house, he remembered the stairs, he vaguely remembered the strange castle. What else was there, he discovered at that moment.

The turrets rose from a lake that took up most of the ground surface between the transparent ramparts and sparkled in their light. On the opposite end from the castle, a round altar was suspended over the water, accessible only by a series of pillars. But what really snatched Cloud's attention was the large, green crystal that shot out from the middle of the lake, seemingly glowing from the inside. In the heart of the crystal, a human body faced them, eyes closed as if sleeping.

Cloud knew, then, what always startled him so much in his dreams that he woke up without remembering their end. This man looked exactly like him.

* * *

**Another note:** Before you all rush to the next chapter (reminder: **I'm publishing chapters 4 and 5 in one go**), I'd like to seriously thank everyone who has been reviewing, alerting and faving this story, especially lately. Your love is felt, people! And since I have had a surprising number of anonymous reviews on the last chapter, special thanks to everyone I haven't been able to answer! I have personal messages for only a few of you, but I love you all. ;)

To _bleep_: That would have been so awesome. I totally would have loved to do it, too bad the story took another direction!

To _Firijia_: Wow, thanks for the nice and long review! About Angeal and Sephiroth's power level, I like to remember Zack died against a troop of Turks and infantrymen, and he was at least as strong as Angeal at that point. Plus, Cloud was vulnerable in this situation and none of them would have liked to see him die in a battle. But I hope the outcome of the scene was satisfying? And I duly noted your request, I'll do my best not to do it anymore!

To the mysterious _Guest_ who kicked me: Are you the same guest who kicked me after chapter 1? Well, glad to know people read my profile. XD


	6. Chapter 5

**Note:** Reminder: **this is the second chapter I am posting today**. Don't forget to check chapter 4 if you missed it! (So sick of editing… *collapses*)

Published on: 09/09/2012

* * *

**Chapter 5**

* * *

"I thought you said you weren't blood related?" were Zack's first words.

Then:

"No, wait, forget that. What's the guy doing in a Mako crystal? In a place like _that_?"

"Hum," was Angeal's only reaction, but his eyebrows had shot up.

Sephiroth's expression didn't betray anything, but the gaze he was setting on the crystal at the centre of the lake was intense.

As for Cloud, his thoughts were a complete mess. Looking closer, he could see the man in the crystal was not really his twin. For a start, since he was naked, it was easy to see his muscles were more defined than Cloud's own. They had the same kind of lean, almost delicate constitution, but that one could definitely pack a punch. His face looked older, too, and sterner, even in unconsciousness.

Cloud felt his breath catch as a thought came to him: that man could have been his brother.

Overjoyed, he made as if to run down, but a gloved hand caught his collar.

"Don't be foolish, Strife."

"But, sir!..."

"You cannot touch raw Mako, it would poison you," Sephiroth asserted mercilessly.

"He is right, Spike. Hey! Don't get yourself ill, okay? There has got to be an easier way to get him out of there."

"For now, we should check the rest of this place," Sephiroth said. "Angeal, take the left, I'll take the right. Zack, Strife, guard the entrance."

"You got it!" Zack exclaimed enthusiastically, with a few squats thrown in there.

Angeal simply nodded and left to inspect his part of the castle. Zack leaned against a wall, and Cloud's eyes switched from him to the lake. He wanted nothing more than to get a closer look at that man who was, under all probability, the brother he had been so worried for. Zack caught the look and, checking that Sephiroth was out of sight, he winked at Cloud and motioned him forward.

"Don't go too far," he mouthed.

Cloud beamed at him; he didn't have to be told twice! He hurried down a set of stairs to the edge of the lake, heart beating hard against his ribs. From down there, the sight was even more surreal. The crystal loomed over the water, rising straight up to a height of more than two men. His look-alike was suspended upright, limbs lying by his sides, chin resting against his chest. Cloud could see the faint preoccupied frown on his face. If he had tried to imagine what Rain would look like, would he have come up with anything different?

Before he realized it, Sephiroth was by his side. He jumped guiltily, having not even heard him approach. The SOLDIER didn't seem angry at his disobedience, though. Rather, he was once more considering the crystal with a pensive gaze.

"Nothing," Angeal said. "And no one. Looks like we are alone here."

Sephiroth nodded without looking at him, then said as if it was perfectly natural:

"I'm going in."

And thus saying, he took a step in the water.

"Whoa, hey, man!" Zack yelled, joining them at a jog.

Angeal stopped him with an extended arm. Sephiroth strode determinedly through the lake, and before long the water reached the tip of his hair, then swallowed his thigh-high boots. He was waist-deep when he came in reach of the crystal. Behind him, his hair floated like a banner on the surface.

Cloud balled his fists when he stopped there. What now? Sephiroth drew Masamune and examined the crystal. He reached out to test it with a gloved hand. Maybe he was considering cutting it open. He didn't have the time to, though.

Just as his hand came in contact with the Mako, an ominous rumbling suddenly filled the place. The ground started to shake under their surprised feet and nearly threw them down. They raised their heads to see hairline cracks begin to appear on the catwalks and the turrets' walls.

"Time to get out of there!" Zack said, barely keeping Cloud on his feet.

"No! Rain!..."

"Sephiroth, come on!" Angeal screamed over the roar of shifting earth.

Sephiroth hadn't moved. The green crystal itself had begun to fracture, cracks shooting upwards from its base and chipping at the structure surrounding the stranger's legs.

"Go ahead!" he shouted back. "I'll be right behind you!"

"But…!" Zack said, hesitant.

Sephiroth turned to look at Cloud over his shoulder.

"Go, Strife! I'll take care of it!"

There was no one else he would have so readily believed in these circumstances. Sephiroth's green eyes reflected nothing but determination. Cloud nodded sternly, heart in his throat, then took Zack by the arm and made a run for it.

Sephiroth saw Angeal go with a last worried look for him. He turned back, watching the cracks reach Rain's neck. The man had yet to show any sign of life. The water was sloshing around Sephiroth's legs, its mad currents trying to bring him to his knees. He sheathed Masamune and squared himself on his feet, ready to pounce.

Finally, the crystal gave way to a million shards of green glass. Rain collapsed, and Sephiroth barely managed to catch him before he slipped underwater. He lifted him in his arms and started on the way back, wading through the lake while whole chunks of the castle detached themselves and rained around him. He hunched over the unconscious man, slit pupils burning with will. He had not made it this far, so close to his only lead, to lose everything now.

He surged from the water and ran for the stairs out. He had nearly made it when he had to jump aside to evade the fall of a huge piece of a wall. The ground shook even more at the impact and he lost a precious second trying to regain his footing. His head snapped up. Another boulder was falling right on him.

Heart pounding, he threw himself forward, all the while knowing it was too late. The block slammed on his legs, pinning him to the ground and dragging a cry from his throat. Rain rolled a few meters forward and lay limp on the first step of the stairs.

Sephiroth twisted around and pressed a hand against the stone, measuring its weight. He groaned when it barely shifted under his strength, grinding his legs along the way. His breath came in short gasps. It was no use; the angle was just too awkward. He brought Masamune's hilt to his eyes, but he already knew he didn't have any Earth Materia on him. Another hunk of stone exploded near his elbow and he barely protected his face from the shards.

He raised his head, and his breath caught when he met Mako blue eyes. Weight supported by his forearms, Rain was coolly considering him. His face held no warmth, and Sephiroth remembered Strife saying his brother had no lost love for him. He damned his luck. He was at the mercy of this man.

Despite seemingly being made of pure light, the stairs began to crack under Rain. The man looked at it, his face betraying nothing. His gaze switched back to Sephiroth, then to the crumbling castle. His features creased with a faint frown.

Was he even realizing the danger they were in? If they didn't get killed in the collapse, they would get stuck down here if the stairs were destroyed. Rain certainly didn't look as alarmed as a civilian should have been. Were these Mako eyes really the consequence of Mako poisoning? Then again, Sephiroth knew all SOLDIERs by both face and name and Rain was not one of them. But the nimble way he leapt to his feet certainly didn't betray Mako poisoning either.

Rain stumbled and his frown became more pronounced, as if he had just realized something upsetting.

The light the surrounding walls had been providing to the cave was fading more and more. What irony it would be if Sephiroth were to die here, killed by a collapsing fairytale castle… His keen ears caught the pattering of bare feet under the racket around him and he spotted Rain suddenly at his side. He tensed, but the man was already ramming a shoulder against the boulder crushing his legs. Despite its weight, the stone lost no time moving. Sephiroth gritted his teeth against the pain, surprised and grateful.

He tried to get to his feet. One of his legs had somehow escaped most of the weight, and though the knee heavily protested, he still got it to mostly obey; the other one, though, felt like it had been completely crushed. Rain was instantly at his wounded side, sliding under his arm. Sephiroth allowed himself to be lifted upright and brought to the stairs.

Climbing to the surface was a dangerous affair with the steps collapsing nearly quicker than they were taking them. Sephiroth strained himself trying not to slow them down, the pain in his bad leg so blinding he felt he might pass out.

And yet, when they finally reached the exit, no solace was to be found. The shell house was collapsing around them. They found the door, skirted the sloshing pond and exited the grove of half uprooted white trees. Outside, the whole city was shaking. Sephiroth stared in disbelief at the crumbling walls and the cracks appearing in the streets. Angeal, Zack and Strife were nowhere to be seen, hopefully on their way to a safe place out of town. Rain let out an impatient puff of breath.

"That's a bit too much, don't you think?" he said to someone invisible.

He was talking softly enough that if it hadn't been for his exceptional hearing, Sephiroth wouldn't have heard him above the groans and roars of the shifting earth. The man looked pale. It couldn't have been healthy for him to be moving so soon after getting out of the crystal.

The ground cracked beneath their feet and Rain swore under his breath, his stumble nearly sending them both down. Before Sephiroth could react, Rain pushed a shoulder in his stomach and he was lifted off his feet, head hanging around the backside of a man that was smaller than him; not to mention very naked.

"I really don't think…" Sephiroth started, suffocated by Rain's impudence.

"Mind the hair," the man groaned.

Sephiroth barely had the time to wrap the full length of his hair around his arm. Rain was already moving, and if his first steps were hesitant, before long he was running along the wrecked streets at a speed that Sephiroth himself wouldn't have turned his nose at. Eyebrows rising in appreciation, he tried not to stare at the man's backside as he drove them forward, jumping from chunks of ground rising under his feet to fallen walls without any apparent difficulty.

Before long, Sephiroth caught a glimpse of the outskirts of the city. He also began to notice that Rain's breathing belied the ease with which he moved. His bare skin was beginning to shine with a layer of sweat.

With a roar that could have heralded the end of the world, Sephiroth felt his stomach take flight as the floor dropped under Rain's feet. Rain grunted and gave one last mighty push; the jump carried them through the city's limits and up to the very edge of the forest. They collapsed to the ground in a tangle of limbs and Sephiroth barely swallowed a scream of pain as the harsh landing jostled his leg.

No one would have heard him anyway; the noise of the city sinking in the ground was deafening. Sephiroth could only stare as the entire town slid down in its newly made crater, until even the tips of what few houses remained standing couldn't be seen anymore above the cliffs that now surrounded it like a protective barrier.

When the shaking finally stopped and the rumble died down, Sephiroth took a look at his companion. He was not surprised to find Rain had lost consciousness. Sighing, the SOLDIER manoeuvred his leg in a less agonizing position and shed his coat. He was laying it on Rain when his PHS began to ring from its pocket.

The caller ID indicated Strife. He had asked that everyone refrain from using their Shinra-issued PHS, and Strife was the only one of them who still had the old and decrepit phone he had bought himself before becoming a regular in the army. He had mentioned he had brought it with him because Rain would know the number by heart.

"Yes," Sephiroth answered briskly.

"Sephiroth," Angeal breathed. "Thank Gaia, you're alive! Where are you?"

With the town completely devastated, it was impossible to tell how far they were from the place Sephiroth and his companions had first entered the city. He looked at the sky.

"North-east from the wreckage, at the edge of the trees. You'll have to come get us. Tell our friend his brother is alive and with me."

Not "fine". Rain did not look fine. Angeal certainly caught the nuance, but he said nothing about it.

"We'll be there."

The line went dead and Sephiroth frowned at his PHS. There was a very high probability this call had been noticed. They would have to leave this place quickly and buy new phones soon, before it became too much of an inconvenience.

* * *

Rain looked better, now. Kneeling at his brother's side, Cloud once more put a hand on Rain's forehead. Still no fever. That probably meant he would wake up soon, right?

They had wrapped him in as many blankets as they could spare and settled him beside the fire. The only wounds on him had been the numerous cuts and bruises on his feet from his barefooted run through the collapsing city, and Cloud had already cleaned and bandaged them. He didn't seem ill, either, so there was really nothing more he could do.

Cloud shivered. They had gone back as far south as they could afford before camping for the night, but the winter was already settling in on the Northern Continent. It was not a nice weather to sleep outside in, but Sephiroth and Angeal had deemed it too risky to stay at an inn when they could have caught Shinra's attention. Luckily, they had found this cave where they were at least safe from the wind.

A mug of something hot appeared before his eyes. Cloud took it and smiled at Zack.

"Thanks."

"Don't worry, Spike. I'm sure he'll wake up in no time at all!"

Zack leaned closer to him and mock-whispered:

"At least he'd better, before Sephiroth shakes him awake himself!"

Sephiroth glared at him from his position against the wall. One of his legs was completely encased between splits and his other knee disappeared under bandages. He was unable to walk without help and it obviously set him on edge, so Cloud tried to swallow his nervous smile back.

"Zack has a point," Angeal actually chuckled, coming in with a load of wood for the fire. "Stop glaring at poor Rain, Sephiroth, it won't make him wake up any faster."

"You didn't see what I saw," Sephiroth insisted.

"So you have said. And I _am_ as curious as you are to learn about the civilian who saved the life of the First amongst the Firsts."

Sephiroth didn't react to the friendly teasing, only frowning more.

"This man is no civilian," he said. "And I'd very much like to know why you never deemed it necessary to mention this, Strife."

Cloud's head snapped up.

"Sir?" he asked, surprised.

"Sephiroth," Angeal stepped in, "Mako overload has been known to —"

"He is displaying none of the symptoms of Mako poisoning. He was perfectly coherent and totally aware of his exceptional physical abilities, which rule out the hypothesis of a temporary increase in speed and strength."

"Are you sure you are unbiased in this?"

"What do you mean?"

Cloud didn't like Sephiroth's abrupt tone of voice. His eyes had taken a steely hint that scared him a little.

"I don't know, Sephiroth. You tell me. I understand Rain is important for your goals, but aren't you putting too much on his shoulders?"

Sephiroth's eyes narrowed.

"I know what I saw. Strife."

"S-sir!"

"What _is_ your brother's line of occupation?"

Those slit pupils focused on him and Cloud nearly swallowed his tongue. Sephiroth had never looked so menacing to him. He had no idea what to say.

A rustle of blankets and a sigh prevented him from panicking.

"Sto' it," a very hoarse voice said.

Rain raised on an elbow. His hair was more dishevelled than ever and his eyes were half-mast, but he was glaring at Sephiroth. He made to sit, but instantly fell flat on his back.

"Rain!" Cloud cried, reaching for him in a panic. "What is it? Are you in pain? Are you ill? What do you need?"

Rain looked dazedly at the cave's ceiling.

"'m fine. 'ot all there yet. 'ive me a m'nute."

Zack curiously leaned over.

"Oh man. That's Mako eyes alright. You sure the guy isn't poisoned?"

Although the question was directed at Angeal and Sephiroth, Rain hissed:

"'m fine!"

He was closing and opening his fist, as if testing the waters. Cloud sneaked a look at Sephiroth. The SOLDIER had leaned back and the aggressiveness was gone from his body language. He was merely observing, face unreadable.

Rain propped himself up again and shook his head, furiously blinking, as if trying to move his brain in a more comfortable position. Cloud realized what was happening and struck his forehead, laughing in relief.

"Oh! You're just rusty!"

It seemed so obvious now. Of course it would be strange to suddenly have a body back after ten years in someone else's head, unable to even move a finger! Sephiroth had said he had carried him outside the city, but that must have been an adrenaline rush!

All three SOLDIERs in the cave gave him strange looks, but Rain just smiled. He had found the muscles of his mouth back, and after a second, he managed to focus his eyes on Cloud's face.

"Hey."

Cloud felt tears come to his eyes.

"Hey," he said, bravely trying to smile back.

He helped him sit, then hugged the living daylights out of him.

"You scared me," he breathed, face squashed against his brother's shoulder.

Rain put a hand on his back.

"I'm sorry," he sighed. "I was as surprised as you, Cloud. If I had had any hint of what was going on, any at all, I would have warned you, but it was so sudden… I probably panicked just as much as you did."

Cloud snorted at that.

"Liar, you never panic."

"I did this time. I am no Superman, you know."

Rain was casting a curious eye to Cloud's spare clothes in which they had dressed him.

"Sorry, these are a little small," Cloud apologized.

"Any of _our_ clothes would have been way too big on you, though," Zack said, happily doing some squats. "Must run in the family!"

Rain stared, unimpressed, at the SOLDIER's sunny smile.

"Smooth, Zack," Cloud teased.

"What? Come on, you two can't not be related! Just look in a mirror! Right, Rain?"

"Don't harass the poor man, Zack," Angeal reprimanded. "Does he even know who you are?"

Zack hit his forehead with his palm.

"Oh man, that's right! I'm Zack, Zack Fair! Nice to meet ya."

He enthusiastically stuck his hand under Rain's nose. Rain just stared back, but there was a faint, nearly fond smile on his face.

"I do know who you are. All of you."

He turned back to Cloud.

"You should tell them the truth. About this."

He pointed to his head. Cloud felt his eyes widen.

"Y-you sure?"

"Some people need to learn not to look at you for answers."

Sephiroth narrowed his eyes. The temperature seemed to drop a few degrees. Zack and Angeal's eyebrows rose while Cloud ducked his head, cheeks burning.

A cold smile stretched Sephiroth's lips.

"I don't claim to know why you dislike me so much, but you are quite the brave man."

"Am I?" Rain answered in a monotone.

He threw his blankets back and warily tried to get up.

"Er… So, what truth are we talking about?" Zack barged in, anxious to dispel the heavy mood.

Cloud stared up at Rain, lost. Could he really tell them? He had gotten so used to being the only one knowing about this… He didn't even know where to begin, let alone where to end. Surely Rain didn't want them to know he was from the future?

Rain caught his eyes and smiled at him.

"Start at your beginning."

His beginning. His story it was, then.

"Right," he breathed.

He was nearly as nervous as the day of the SOLDIER exam. Hopefully, it would go more smoothly. Rain sat back down next to him, close enough that their knees were touching. The contact gave him courage.

"Well, it all started when I was about six years old and I began telling my mom about the invisible friend talking in my head… I guess it would have been natural, you know, just a kid's imagination, if it had actually faded with time. But Rain stayed."

Zack gaped. Both Angeal and Sephiroth's eyes had widened.

"Don't interrupt," Rain snapped before any of the SOLDIERs could say a word.

Zack's mouth closed and he dropped to the ground, the picture of attentiveness. Cloud smiled, grateful.

"Rain also knew a lot of things there was no way I could ever have known, about plants, animals, even monsters. Even when my mom began to worry I was getting too old for this, there was no doubt in my mind that Rain was his own person, and just as real as you and me. But it was beginning to be troublesome for me, so Rain suggested I stop telling anyone about him. It was easier this way."

Cloud's eyes dropped to his shoes.

"All this time, I had never really wondered about why Rain was there or where he was coming from. It just didn't mean anything to me. That's why when he reacted so suddenly during that mission in Modeoheim… Well, I was a bit lost."

"You are the one who stopped me?" Angeal asked suddenly, eyes intense.

Thankfully, Rain didn't react badly to the interruption.

"Cloud was relaying my words. I could never use his body, but the gist of what he said came from me."

He sent a grateful smile at Cloud, who was quickly learning his brother's eyes were much most expressive than his mouth. Cloud smiled back, genuinely happy to have him by his side. It made the black hole at the back of his mind a little less cold and lonely.

Angeal blinked.

"Then I guess my debt toward you is more important than what I had first fathomed."

But Zack looked as confused as he did and he had no qualms expressing it:

"Wasn't Cloud going on about Sephiroth at the time, though? I thought you didn't like him?"

"What?" Sephiroth asked, frowning.

Apparently, he hadn't heard this part of the story.

"No matter," he added immediately, turning back to Rain. "What I would rather know is why Strife would have had trouble contacting you about Angeal's ailment if you were, as he said, "in his head"."

Cloud felt insulted that the question hadn't been aimed at him, especially since he was basically being called a liar. Rain stared back at Sephiroth, apparently unimpressed, but the enmity between them was palpable.

"Remember I was an extra soul in a body that wasn't mine. Whether it weakened me or Cloud's body couldn't support two minds at once for too long, I was very often unconscious."

"Which means he slept a lot," Cloud supplied abruptly. "Like "six days per week" a lot, and I could never wake him up when he did that. You are all damn lucky he was here for Modeoheim at all."

He had crossed his arms and a very annoyed expression had found its way on his face. They _were_ lucky Rain had intervened, and he was sick of them doubting his brother.

Zack laughed.

"Hey, relax Spike. _Some_ of us might not, but I do believe you two! It explains plenty of things after all."

He started counting of his fingers.

"How you knew so many things in Modeoheim when you had barely heard of Angeal before; the way you zoned out while we were talking to Angeal in that alley; why you could never tell us how Rain had disappeared; why your dreams led us straight to him; and I suppose with how weird it was that Rain was in your head in the first place, it somehow fits in with how he could even have disappeared from Midgar to reappear on the Northern Continent, butt-naked and in a Mako crystal of all places."

"In a castle in the middle of a sleeping forest that had to be awaken by a harp," Angeal added with a straight face.

"That too."

Rain was scowling.

"I didn't ask for my life to be so ridiculous," he murmured.

Cloud giggled and nudged him with a shoulder.

"The harp thing really threw me, you know."

"Not my fault. I don't write the stupid rules."

"Well, how did you become an "extra soul" in the first place?" Zack asked, eagerly leaning forward.

Rain's eyes wandered in the cave's shadows.

"Who knows…"

"Oh, come on!" Zack cried in dismay, then, pleading: "Cloud?"

But Cloud had learned Rain's will. He firmly shook his head.

"I gave you my story. That's Rain's, so ask him. Besides, he barely told me anything."

"You can't seriously stop the explanations here," Angeal cut in, an eyebrow raised in disbelief.

"Why not?" Rain answered. "While I thank you for getting me out of the crystal, it's really none of your business. Let's just say we are even and leave it at that."

"Ah…"

Cloud tugged at his shirt, embarrassed.

"Rain… Zack, Sephiroth and I had to leave Shinra when you disappeared. We were afraid Shinra had you since you know so many corporation secrets."

Rain looked thrown.

"Had me? How?"

Cloud ducked his head.

"Well, now it sounds ridiculous…" he muttered. "It's just you were always going on about how dangerous Shinra is, so I thought…"

Rain looked sheepish.

"It's alright, I get it. You had no idea of what had happened, after all."

He was trying to be reassuring, but he was obviously troubled.

"So. Shinra has no SOLDIER First left."

"Yeah," Zack said, worried. "I had been wondering about that. Shinra has been trying to cover up for our defection, sure, but someone is bound to notice. What if these AVALANCHE guys decide now is a good time to attack?"

Sephiroth didn't look very concerned.

"They'll send Turks to deal with it and handpick a couple of SOLDIER Seconds to promote. I wouldn't worry about it."

"Is that kind of attitude really alright?" Angeal sighed. "I don't particularly like Shinra, but it's the only entity granting stability to the people right now. We don't need a civil war."

"It's too late to have second thoughts. No matter what kind of situation the company is in, do you really think they'd welcome traitors back with open arms? And frankly, I could care less about Shinra right now."

As he was saying that, Sephiroth's eyes sought Rain. The man had gotten to his feet and stood at the cave's mouth, his back turned to them, obviously deep in thought.

An uneasy silence befell them.

"We should go to sleep," Zack suggested. "I don't know about you, but I'm dead tired! Might as well talk about all of this in the morning."

"Yeah," Angeal approved. "I'll take first watch…"

"Uh," Cloud timidly interrupted. "If it's nothing, I'd rather take it. I'd like to talk a bit with Rain."

Rain had turned back to them and he nodded.

"I just woke up anyway. I won't be going to sleep right now."

"Very well, then," Angeal shrugged.

The SOLDIERs moved to settle down for the night while Cloud joined his brother at the mouth of the cave. After a short conversation, they went out and sat a small distance from the camp.

"Here should be fine," Rain said.

"Brr, you sure? It's cold here."

Rain glanced apologetically at him.

"Sorry, but I'd rather no one hear us. The wind will cover our voices if we speak softly."

Cloud straightened at that.

"Is something wrong?"

Rain's pensive eyes wandered in the night around them.

"I can't stay, Cloud."

Blunt as always. Cloud stayed silent a few seconds, winded by his astonishment.

"W-why?" he blurted. "Rain…!"

His brother slid a worried glance to the cave where the three SOLDIERs had laid down. Cloud let his voice die. Rain whispered:

"You know where I came from and why I am… here… now. Whatever. There are things I need to do, and I can't bring Angeal or Sephiroth with me. I won't take that risk."

"… Does it have anything to do with that thing, the source of the J cells?"

Rain stayed silent, which was an answer in itself.

"Then I'll come with you! I'll help! Zack can stay with them and—"

"No Cloud. It's too dangerous."

Cloud opened his mouth to argue but found nothing to say. He was terrified of losing his brother just when he had found him again. Rain's eyes softened.

"Don't be mistaken. I know what you are capable of, more than anyone. I'm serious when I say it will be very dangerous. And I also know," he added, speaking over his objections, "that you want to come all the same, but I won't allow it. Besides, I need you to keep an eye on Sephiroth. Now that he has actually left Shinra, I'd feel uneasy if he were to wander around without me having any idea of where he went. You are the only one who can watch him for me."

That was a valid argument, Cloud knew. With the way Rain behaved around Sephiroth, there was no way it was just a bone thrown at Cloud to make him stay put. The SOLDIER genuinely made his brother nervous.

"But… does that mean we'll keep in contact?"

"Of course. You still have that old junk of a phone, right?"

Cloud brandished it. He had known taking it along would be useful! Rain smiled.

"Then I'll be in touch. Not immediately, of course, I'll need to get a phone of my own."

"But you have no money!" Cloud realized. "Ah, and no weapon, too! And… uh, no shoes."

They both lowered their eyes to Rain's bandaged feet. There was no helping it, Cloud had no spare shoes.

"When do you leave?"

Cloud was holding his breath, but somehow, he already knew the answer.

"… Now."

"So soon? But what if you end up having some sort of after-effect from the crystal? What if…"

He cut himself off, sighing. He already knew this battle was lost. He suddenly bent down and tugged at his Shinra-issued boots, thrusting them at Rain.

"Here."

"Cloud…"

"If it's that way, you'll need them more than me. Besides, the others will know I helped you. We're brothers, after all."

Rain smiled at him and put the shoes on. Like Cloud's clothes, they fit well enough. It was almost scary how physically alike they were.

"Also, money. Take everything you need from my account. You remember the code, right?"

"You don't have to do this."

"Of course I do. The sooner you get a phone, the sooner you can call me! And besides, I wouldn't feel safe using my account right now. Is it possible Shinra can watch those?"

"Very possible," Rain conceded. "All right, this can work our way. I'll take as much as I can in one shot, and they'll come after me instead of you. Since I'll be travelling alone, I'll be harder to find and the four of you can move around more freely."

"If you think it's alright…"

Rain put a hand on his shoulder and smiled.

"It'll work out, I promise. I'll be back before you know it."

"Really?"

"Yeah. I'll do my best to make it short."

They hugged and, for a short while, Cloud revelled in the warmth and solidness of his brother's strong frame. They moved apart, and Rain sneaked a glance to the cave. He stilled and Cloud followed his gaze. Two cat-like eyes were staring at them. Even with the distance and the fire between Sephiroth and them, Cloud shivered.

"Sorry," Rain breathed, turning his back to the SOLDIER.

Cloud wondered if he was trying to prevent him from reading his lips. Could Sephiroth do that? He wouldn't put it past him.

"It looks like I am throwing you to the wolves. Don't hesitate to tell them I'll be contacting you soon. Make sure you stay close to Zack."

"Sephiroth won't do anything to me, Rain," he said, with less assurance than he would've a few months ago.

He had seen how obsessive Sephiroth could get. Rain's departure would without a doubt displease him, _a lot_. Rain rose, and Cloud could only cling to his hand. He could hardly believe they were already going to part. Rain looked softly at him.

"I'll see you soon," he promised.

Then he was gone, running so fast the night seemed to swallow him in mere seconds.

Cloud didn't see Sephiroth shoot to his elbows, livid, and shake Angeal awake. Maybe Sephiroth would have had a chance to catch up to Rain if he hadn't been injured, but as it was, it was already too late anyway.

Cloud was more focused on the sudden thought that had come to him as he had been watching that figure that looked so much like him disappear, wearing both his clothes and his shoes. If Rain came from the future, then… could it be that the reason they were so much alike…

* * *

**Another note:** If you think a lot of things are left unexplained in this chapter, you're right. We'll come back to it later in the story. (If you think I am pushing it to have Rain!Cloud disappear just after his big comeback, you're probably right too… but he'll be back soon, I promise! :D)


	7. Chapter 6

**Note:** Well, I think my weekly publishing schedule is dead and buried at this point. It was too tight anyway, and with one chapter per week I'd have to choose between updating this fanfic and writing it, which would suck. Plus, I only have four chapters left in my buffer after this one. So I'll be trying to **update every two or three weeks**. Hopefully this'll go better.  
I also had to slow down on my answers to reviews, since you guys are awesome and I'm getting more and more love on this story. So once again, a big thank you to all the readers out there! (MonkeySensei, I was especially sorry to not be able to reply to you. Your comment was very encouraging, thanks a lot!)

Published on: 09/27/2012

* * *

**Chapter 6**

* * *

If his legs would have allowed it, Sephiroth would no doubt have been pacing. He had to make do with glaring at the wall and grinding his teeth, stubbornly not looking at Cloud. The ex-trooper was grateful. He didn't want _that_ anger aimed at him.

The night had been difficult enough to get through, with everyone angry or sad or disturbed. A heavy silence weighed down on the four men. Zack kept fidgeting uncomfortably, eyes sliding between his three companions, seeming to sense it wasn't his place to break the mood. Cloud wasn't as upset to be the target of every disapproving glance as he'd usually have been. He was at peace with his decisions, and focused more on his own sadness and on that unsettling idea that wouldn't leave him alone.

Finally, it was Angeal who broke the silence.

"So," he said when everyone had had enough of eating or pretending to eat breakfast. "Now that we have all settled down a bit. Would you mind explaining yourself, Strife?"

Cloud raised his head and looked at the three SOLDIERs. Zack made a brave attempt to smile at him, Angeal stared back impassively, and Sephiroth was now glaring at a point just above his shoulder.

It was exactly this kind of attitude that made Rain wary, Cloud realized. Sephiroth was so greedy for information he was losing all sense of restraint. It wasn't fair that Cloud had to choose between the two role models of his life just because Sephiroth felt the need to throw some tantrums!

"Oh, get a grip, for Gaia's sake!" he all but shouted at his idol.

Sephiroth looked nothing short of astonished.

"Not everyone is at your beck and call! Rain had a life, before he ended up spending years trapped in my head. He had things to do, things he couldn't drag all of us around for. It's because of your attitude that he had to leave in the middle of the night like a thief!"

Sephiroth's raised eyebrows slid down into a frown.

"Strife—" he began sternly.

"You think I was happy to see him go so soon? I spent nearly my whole life with my brother. You can't even begin to understand how empty my head feels like now that he is no longer there!" Cloud ranted. "And after everything, when I finally met with him again, he had to leave… But I respect that, and the least you could do is to respect it too!"

Zack threw a protective arm around his shoulders, and he realized he was shaking.

"Hey, Cloud has a point; Rain owed us nothing. I mean, sure, we helped Cloud get him out of that weird-ass city. But before that, he had still saved Angeal without ever asking for anything in return!"

"Quite," Angeal sighed. "And there is really no need to be so glum, Sephiroth. You know Rain has to have left Cloud here with us on purpose. He'll come back, there's no doubt about it."

Although he looked in no way as furious as before, there was still a weight on Sephiroth's brow. His eyes slid to Cloud's.

"Is that for certain?"

Cloud nodded with absolute conviction.

"Yeah; he promised. And he said he'd be in touch, too. As soon as he can."

Sephiroth sighed and nodded. He looked frustrated, but most of his control was back.

"Huh," Zack said.

He seemed in a much better mood now that the air had cleared. He let go of Cloud and stretched his arms above his head.

"Well. What do we do, now? We can't just wait for a sign from this guy. How about we try and go back to Midgar?"

"Going out of the Northern Continent right now could be very risky," Angeal argued. "Don't forget they probably noticed our phone call in that city. They'll be watching the boats."

"Ah," Cloud remembered. "Yeah, I should probably mention this: Rain said he'd try to get the Turks' attention away from us, since he'll be harder to target."

"Be that as it may, I'd rather have nothing to do with Midgar before quite a while has passed," Sephiroth said unexpectedly. "We have no reason to hurry there now that we know Rain was never a prisoner of Shinra. I realize you have left important friends behind, Zack, but going back to them would only put them in danger."

Zack hung his head and sighed.

"Yeah, I know. Guess Midgar is out, then."

Cloud felt very guilty. It was because of him that Zack had had to leave his girlfriend and all his other friends behind, and all for his unwarranted concerns, too. He nudged him with his shoulder.

"Sorry, Zack."

His friend smiled and half-hugged him.

"'T's okay, little guy. Anyway, it might be for the best. Shinra was getting iffier and iffier."

He was just saying that to comfort him, Cloud knew. As "iffy" as Shinra was, Zack had been determined to make the best of what he had been given there, to do his job, to help people to the best of his ability. And now he would be stuck being a fugitive for the rest of his life. Cloud could maybe find a new place for himself, somewhere, somehow, but there was no way any of the SOLDIERs could go unnoticed long enough for that. As if he was reading his thoughts, Angeal smiled to him.

"Let's take it all one step at a time."

Cloud smiled back and nodded, touched. Angeal seemed much more amiable with him since they had found Rain, he had even used his first name earlier. The ex-SOLDIER had already had quite some time to get used to the idea of being a fugitive himself; coupled with Sephiroth's apparently unruffled attitude, it made all of this seem a bit less daunting.

"Yeah. Okay."

* * *

The very next day, Cloud's old PHS chimed from his pocket. They all stopped what they were doing while Cloud eagerly opened his phone.

"It's an email from Rain," he said happily. " 'Hey little brother, I'm writing this from one of these crappy public terminals in inns. I did as we discussed and our friends are hot on my tail. Will buy a phone as soon as I throw them off. Thought all of you might get bored in the meantime, so I suggest you head to the place your best friend got his Bahamut summon and dig around. See you soon, Rain.' "

"Woohoo, a secret message!" Zack deadpanned. "I am worth jack-shit at deciphering those. So, who is your best friend, Spike?"

"… That'd be you, Zack."

Like he was friends with a lot of people who possessed a Materia as strong as a Bahamut summon. Zack's face lit up.

"Oh yeah? Thanks, Cloud!" he said, flattered.

"So, where did you get a Bahamut summon, Puppy?" Angeal asked. "You certainly didn't have it when I left Shinra."

"Huh… Let me think…"

Zack started on some squats, his brow furrowed in deep thought.

"Huh… Oh yeah! Now I remember! It was Genesis'! He left it behind in… ah… in Banora."

Angeal sobered at the mention of his destroyed hometown.

"I see."

"Using his Materia so carelessly, that's just like Genesis," Sephiroth butted in with a scoff.

He was deliberately not looking at his forlorn friend.

"To Banora, then?" Cloud asked him, taking a leaf out of the SOLDIER's book.

"As soon as we can find suitable means of transportation. Although I have to say I don't particularly like your brother's way of stringing us along."

"He is doing his best, sir. I'm sure we'll find something important there."

"Hm."

"Anyway," Zack intervened, "Banora should be much nicer at this time of the year. I know _I _am sick of the cold!"

"Well," Angeal said, having gratefully taken the time they left him to pull himself together, "I am nearly done with that crutch for you, Sephiroth. Let's get out of here as soon as it's finished."

* * *

Their car had disappeared by the time they had made it back from the Northern Continent, and Cloud had had to silence his guilt and steal another one. At least this one had no broken window since he had been able to take his time, and they had been able to ferry it to the Mideel island.

The trooper was leaning against the car's door, utterly miserable. Zack was throwing him commiserating glances and trying to distract him with his usual babble, but Cloud had trouble paying attention to him.

Angeal was driving, and Sephiroth had had no choice but to retreat to the backseat so that his bad leg could lay straight. Cloud had willingly taken the seat next to him as he was the smallest of them all and could leave as much space as possible to his injured role model, but since Sephiroth sat nearly facing him and their legs occasionally brushed, he was very much distracted.

At least he was done wearing the man's too big spare boots, that pair Sephiroth had used in his SOLDIER Second Class' disguise. Those few days between Rain leaving and the moment when they had felt safe enough to stop at a town to get supplies had been embarrassing. It was in that very same shopping trip, though, that Sephiroth had somehow managed to acquire new phones for himself, Zack and Angeal. They were second-hand, but still serviceable. Cloud wondered how long it would take for Sephiroth to get Rain's number out of him once his brother got a phone.

Eh. That made Sephiroth sound like an overzealous suitor. He tried hard not to snicker.

"Hey Cloud," Zack said suddenly, catching his attention. "I was just thinking… How come Rain knew where I had gotten that Bahamut summon in the first place? I mean, I don't remember ever telling you. Did I?"

"No idea," Cloud groaned. "If you did, I can't remember. But I don't know why you're surprised. Rain knows _a lot_ of things he shouldn't, hadn't you figured that out already?"

He was smirking. Zack kept silent a few seconds.

"Man, no offense Spike, but that guy is weird. Is he some sort of psychic, or an alien, or what?"

Cloud snorted. He actually had a very interesting theory as to why Rain would know so much about Zack's life, but he wasn't about to tell anyone that. Although he was nearly certain by now that he was right.

It had taken them about a week to get from the Northern Continent to Banora's outskirts, and there had been no sign of Rain in that time. Frankly, Cloud was starting to get very worried. Should it take him so long to get rid of the Turks following him?

"What's that?" Zack asked, leaning forward to peer through the windshield.

Night was falling, but in front of them, a strange green light was floating from the ground.

"We're nearly there," Angeal said.

Sephiroth said nothing, but by the way he briefly stretched his back, Cloud guessed he was impatient to escape the cramped space and uncomfortable position he was stuck in. For once, Cloud wasn't the only one who had to suffer through car rides.

Within minutes, Angeal stopped the car. They all got out and silently gathered on the cliff overlooking Banora's remains. Clumps of soil and rock now stood out from a background of gently glowing green light. Lone half-burned timbers and lopsided palm trees still clung to their islands of ground. The skeleton of the mill stood on a nearby hill like a forlorn sentry.

"Man, it looks so different now…" Zack said.

"The Lifestream," Sephiroth breathed.

Angeal sighed.

"People used to say Banora's soil was blessed by how close to the surface the Lifestream ran around here. I never thought it would take an air raid from Shinra to prove that theory."

"Hey, look," Cloud said.

He pointed to an area far away to their right. Above some steep hills, Mako green light shone as if emerging from a well, more intense than the glow from the destroyed village.

"Well, Rain said to dig around, right? Let's go take a look," Zack suggested.

They headed for the narrow path that took off in that direction. Zack and Angeal took the lead while Cloud stayed behind with Sephiroth, weapon in hand. The SOLDIER's contracted jaw was the only sign that he was frustrated by the speed at which he was hobbling along.

They reached what was actually looking quite similar to a well: a circular crack in the ground from the depths of which the Lifestream gently shone. Not far from it, they found the opening of a tunnel.

"It's too dark in there," Sephiroth said. "I don't like it."

"Yeah. We should probably get some equipment before going down there," Angeal suggested.

"What's the closest town?" Zack asked. "Mideel, right?"

"I'll go tomorrow," Cloud immediately offered. "I need to charge my phone anyway."

The old thing's battery could barely go three days while unused and Cloud kept having to charge it at inns and hotels.

"Alright, Spike, you do that, and Angeal and I can see if there is anything else interesting around here. Sephiroth, uh…"

"Save it."

The man sighed impatiently and tossed his head, sending a ripple through his long silver hair. Angeal shared a shrug and a small smile with Cloud and Zack.

"It's settled, then. Let's go back and set camp."

* * *

It quickly became evident that Rain had had to be talking about the tunnel, as there was hardly anything else around Banora. They began exploring as soon as Cloud was back with supplies and discovered nothing short of a complete network of caves and tunnels.

The scenery in there was rather spectacular. Pale Mako crystals shot from everywhere, lighting everything and making their new flashlights nearly useless. Small waterfalls made sure half of the caves had anything from one to ten feet of water, but the topography was chaotic enough that it was possible for anyone but Sephiroth to stay on dry ground by jumping from rocks to platforms.

The first time they had had to leave Sephiroth behind, Cloud had been reluctant. He had quickly learned not to be when they had returned to find him mechanically destroying a group of Evilgoyles with Materia alone. He had even looked rather bored. When one of the monsters had managed to slip through his attacks, he had cut it down with a single strike of Masamune, not even moving his legs.

That had been rather awe-inspiring to Cloud, who had no hope of going anywhere alone in the underground. The place was swarming with powerful monsters and he was mostly stuck playing support for the three SOLDIERs.

Still, the monster hunting was rather welcome for their funds. Although Sephiroth had been well inspired in taking off from Midgar with quite a sum of money, their need for supplies and travels had made a sizeable dent in it.

On the second day, Cloud emerged from the tunnel to discover he had missed a call. He let out a cry of dismay, earning the attention of his three companions. Obviously, there was no reception down there. He should have thought of it!

He immediately dialled back, not even explaining himself to the others. Someone picked up.

"I got a phone," were Rain's first words.

Cloud laughed, relieved beyond words.

"About damn time! I was beginning to get seriously worried! What took you so long?"

"Sorry. I did my best, but I am still no Turk. Don't worry though, I'll get someone to help on that."

Cloud's curiosity peaked.

"Someone? What do you mean? You know someone who can help you even after… you know…"

He sneaked a glance at the three SOLDIERs who were obviously keeping an ear on the conversation. He meant Rain's time travel, but they'd just assume he meant the years he spent trapped in his head.

"Yeah, sure. See, I won't be alone, so don't worry too much, okay?"

"Yeah, okay. Did you get started on what you meant to do?"

"Not yet, I lost time playing with these guys. I'm on my way now."

"Right. By the way, we are at the place you asked us to go to. Any kind of hint on what we are looking for?"

"… Frankly, I'm not even sure it's there yet. It might be too early. What did you find so far?"

"A whole bunch of caves infested with monsters. That's what you wanted us to look into, right?"

"No idea."

"What? Rain!" Cloud cried, appalled.

Although Angeal and Zack merely looked curious at his outburst, Sephiroth, who was walking at Cloud's side, was staring right at the phone. Did that mean he could actually hear his brother?

Rain laughed softly.

"Sorry, I really don't know. My memories are too fuzzy."

Sephiroth was now frowning. Without a word, he reached a gloved hand out.

"Uh, I think Sephiroth wants to talk to you."

"Of course he does."

The SOLDIER looked very much unamused.

"… and I think he can hear you."

"Of course he can," Rain agreed.

Despite his uneasiness, Cloud had to stifle a laugh. Sephiroth looked so unimpressed he couldn't help it.

"I'll talk to you later, Cloud."

"Yes!"

He handed the phone over. Sephiroth lost no time diving into business.

"Why would you direct us here with that kind of vague information? Are you purposefully sending us on a wild goose chase?"

Rain stayed silent a few seconds.

"I won't deny I don't really care whether you find something or not. Actually, no. I'd rather you find nothing."

Sephiroth stopped in the middle of the path and took a slow breath to calm his temper. His patience had taken quite a beating, first from Rain's disappearance and then from his wound. He did _not_ appreciate being led around.

"Frankly, I mostly sent you there so that you would not end up in my way, whether accidentally or not," Rain carried on, although he had to be aware of Sephiroth's anger. "That's not to say there is nothing to find. I just don't know if it came here yet."

"And what, precisely, are we talking about?" Sephiroth growled.

"I'd rather not say anything if it's too early. It'll be a nasty shock as it is."

"You are a very, very irritating man."

Rain paused for a while.

"Somehow, it's very satisfying to hear you say that," he said.

Then he hung up.

* * *

It turned out there was no need to fret, as they found that "nasty shock" no later than the next day.

They emerged back in the sunlight, shaken to their very core. Zack, Angeal and Sephiroth were all pale, although probably for very different reasons. From the glint in his cat-like eyes, Cloud guessed Sephiroth was mostly furious.

Pre-empting what he was going to ask, Cloud called Rain.

"_If I can't answer the phone, I'm probably busy doing something Shinra won't like. I'll call you back later. Be safe,_" the answering machine blithely told him.

Cloud heard Sephiroth take a long and slow breath through his noise. He sneaked a look at the man he admired to find him pressing a gloved hand against his brow in pure aggravation.

"Sorry," Cloud whispered.

Sephiroth turned his back to them and hobbled some distance away. He stopped in the middle of the path, letting the wind play with his hair.

"What are we gonna do?" Zack breathed. "Genesis… He was…"

Cloud didn't blame his friend for not finding his words. They had all thought Genesis was dead, finally laying at peace in the Lifestream. Instead of what, the man was down there, more stark raving mad than ever before. If he hadn't obviously still been suffering from his degradation and the wounds Zack had inflicted on him the last time they fought — six months ago! — it was clear they would have had to kill him.

But Genesis had tripped while trying to charge them, sank to his knees and not managed to get up, all the while screaming and ranting at them. Cloud had found it terrifying and _he_ hadn't known the man before he left Shinra. For Sephiroth and Angeal, it had to have been a horrible vision.

But Sephiroth had been the one to snap them out of it, barking at them to get out of there. They had left and Sephiroth had snatched one of the seven strange Materia that had been resting on a pedestal before the room. The huge doors had immediately slid close, sealing Genesis and his incoherent insults inside.

"Well," Angeal sighed. "At least we know what those two clones we killed this morning were doing here."

Although his voice was calm enough, neither Cloud nor Zack could see his face.

"Taking care of him, right?" Cloud whispered. "He obviously can't get food and the like on his own."

They lapsed into silence.

"We can't leave this place anymore," Sephiroth said suddenly. "There might be other clones around, or a way for Genesis to open this door from the inside. We have to move our camp to the tunnel."

They had explored enough of the caves to know there was only one way out. If they guarded it, Genesis would not be able to escape. It was a good plan; but then, what would they do? Cloud wanted to ask. He swallowed the question.

"Then Cloud and me will get everything from camp," Zack suggested, his voice somewhat back to his usual confident one. "Right, Spike?"

Cloud nodded gratefully and followed him to the remains of Banora, leaving the two friends alone in a tense silence.

* * *

It's only in the evening that Rain called back.

Since no one had been in the mood to explore more, Cloud had taken advantage of the afternoon to go back to Mideel and recharge his phone. He was now officially in charge of supplies for the group. He had told the locals he was in the area to make a living out of hunting monsters. Thankfully, the Mideel folks were an eccentric bunch and no one batted an eyelash at the high-level stuff he sold to the shopkeepers.

"I'll put you on speaker," he told Rain.

He pressed the correct button and inclined the phone towards the three SOLDIERs that sat with him around the fire. They were a subdued bunch, tonight.

"So, you found him," were Rain's first words.

Angeal sighed heavily. His closed eyes and painful frown betrayed his torment.

"What I want to know is… what are you playing at?"

"Playing? This is not a game. I assure you it doesn't feel funny to me either."

"Then why send us here?" Sephiroth growled.

He was keeping a tight rein on his emotions, but Cloud could still feel the anger boiling in him. Rain kept silent a few seconds.

"You deserved to know."

There was really not much that could be answered to that. After some time, Rain sighed.

"I can't stay on the phone for long. I'll be busy for a while yet. Cloud?"

Cloud took back his phone and deactivated the speaker.

"Yeah?"

"I found that friend I told you about."

"Oh."

"He agreed to help me. I'll be sure to introduce you two soon. After all, you tried to help me get to him, once upon a time."

"I did?" he frowned. "… Oh. Oh!"

His eyes grew wide. Was Rain talking about that day he had asked him to get inside the Shinra Manor in Nibelheim? That was the only favour his brother had ever asked of him. But who the hell could he have found in the manor? The place had been deserted since before Cloud's birth!

"Does that mean you are in—?"

"Hush. I'd rather they don't know. But yes, I'm there. Don't worry, I have been avoiding the villagers."

Cloud tugged on his collar, gulping. Who knew what would happen if anybody saw someone looking so much like Cloud the looser wandering around the village? And his mother! He didn't even want to think about her meeting Rain out of the blue.

Still… He sneaked a glance at his companions and, noticing Zack had turned the conversation to more pleasant subjects, quietly walked away from the fire.

"Ah… Do you think you could…"

"Hm?"

"If I sent you an email for someone, could you…"

"… write it and deposit it in their mailbox? Sure."

He sighed, relieved.

"Thank you."

"If you've got one for Tifa, I'll do it too," Rain teased.

"Wha… Rain!" he hissed in the mouthpiece, face flaming.

His brother gave a quiet laugh.

"Try and do it this evening. I'll be very busy from tomorrow on. And don't try to contact me before I send you a message saying it's okay."

"… It's going to be dangerous, right? What you're going to do?"

"Frankly? I don't know. It could be done in a heartbeat. Shinra will notice and be very displeased, though. There is no helping that."

"Okay…" he sighed. "Be careful, then."

"You too."

* * *

The next days went rather quietly.

Angeal took the habit of going down to bring Genesis food. Zack worried and often went with him to the door, while Sephiroth simply frowned and kept silent. When Cloud would follow Zack on some patrols to keep the population of monsters down, his friend would keep him updated.

"He behaves a little less like a crazy loon," Zack panted, chugging down a potion Cloud had given him. "You know, less raving. His eyes still look mad, though. Mainly, he just stays far away from the door and watches Angeal and me until we leave. Sometimes he talks, complete nonsense and LOVELESS quotes; which are the same as far as I am concerned. I just don't know, Spike. It's not like we can kill him when he is like that."

Cloud had his reserves. He wondered if Sephiroth wouldn't be able to do it. After all, he had severed Angeal's wings without hesitation, as soon as there had even been a possibility it could help. Then again, according to Zack he had also refused to be sent on the first mission to track down Angeal and Genesis when they had gone MIA, probably fearing he would have to kill them.

The SOLDIER was a complex man. It was even more difficult to understand his position on the matter when he never talked about Genesis, except to make sure he wouldn't escape.

Finally, Rain contacted Cloud. Cloud had been on the way back from Mideel and lost no time pulling over.

"Is everything alright?" he eagerly asked.

"It's done. I'm fine. My friend is fine," Rain answered, unusually irritated. "But it still doesn't exactly feel "alright" to me."

Cloud heard a feminine voice in the background and nearly had a heart attack.

"Is it Cloud?"

"Wa-wa-wa-was that…?"

"I told you I was no Turk. So apparently, someone saw me posting one of your letters."

"It is Cloud!" the voice said triumphantly, from a bit closer. "Give me that! I want to talk to him!"

"Tifa?" Cloud cried in dismay.

"She is very persistent."

Before he could ask what that meant, there was an outburst of static and some loud ruffle of fabric.

"Cloud!" Tifa said, apparently now in possession of the phone. "Is that you, Cloud?"

"Tifa…"

"Oh, thank Gaia! I was beginning to think these guys were just creeps out to kidnap young girls."

"No one asked you to come," Cloud faintly heard Rain say.

"So, is that guy really your brother? I couldn't believe it when I saw him! He looks so much like you! How come no one even knew you had a brother? I never heard your mom talk about him!"

"Tifa, wait! What are you doing with Rain?"

"Well, I had to find out who that weird guy who looked like you was, duh. At first I thought it was you, can you believe it? But then I thought, no, I don't think SOLDIERs are supposed to look older than their real age. You know, you owe me some explanations."

"What?" he weakly asked.

He was busy trying not to faint. Had he heard Rain right? Had Tifa actually gone with him?

"About why your brother just sabotaged the reactor. I thought you went to become a SOLDIER? And he looks like a SOLDIER, too. Although that guy with him just looks weird. So, how can your brother be a terrorist if he is Shinra? Not that I really like Shinra, but still. That's just plain weird. That's why I went with them, but your brother can be a real jerk; he won't tell me anything."

"… Tifa, where are you right now?"

"Well, in their car, obviously. They are hightailing it out of Nibelheim, outlaws that they are."

"Wha… Tifa!" he exclaimed. "Why would you go with them if you knew they had done something illegal? Now you are going to be in trouble too!"

"I can always pretend they held me hostage or something. But I am not backing off without some explanations! Besides, I was getting bored. Half the kids our age left for the city; I thought I'd at least see what the hype was."

"By carpooling with some shady guys without any proof that one of them was really my brother?"

"Oh, sod off. You know I can take care of myself. I used to wipe your ass at Zangan's, remember?"

He wanted to argue some more, but he found himself out of words. Rain had actually sabotaged Nibelheim's reactor. He would be chased by Shinra even more than he had already been. His friend was apparently very weird, and Tifa had managed to get dragged in the horrible mess that Cloud's life had become! What else could go wrong?

"Cloud? Hey, don't ignore me—"

"And that's quite enough."

Static again, through which he heard Tifa loudly protest, then Rain's voice.

"Like I said; she is persistent."

"Come on!" Cloud cried. "You are at least SOLDIER level! Couldn't you have prevented her from coming?"

"Sure, except she looked very serious about giving Shinra every last information she had about us and what we did. Frankly, I can't afford it."

Cloud groaned, desperate.

"This is just… peachy… just great."

Rain's voice softened.

"I'm sorry, Cloud. I do what I can, but I am not infallible."

"I know," he sighed. "I know you're doing your best. And I am the one who asked you to post the letters, so it's mainly my fault. Did you really sabotage Nibelheim's reactor?"

"Yes. Though that was more of a side-effect. With luck, Shinra will think that it was our real objective and the rest was just collateral damage."

"What about the scientists who worked there?"

"Cloud."

Rain's voice was admonishing.

"They are unarmed, of course."

"Oh. Yeah, of course they are. Sorry, I'm not thinking right."

"It's okay. We are on our way to join you. I'll see you soon."

"Okay. See you then."

He hung up to Tifa's protest that she still wanted to talk to him. He gave a heavy sigh and his head dropped to the headrest. He couldn't believe he would have to see Tifa soon on top of everything else. He still felt somewhat bad that he hadn't managed to make SOLDIER despite the way he had nearly bragged before her, and she was already demanding answers about things he couldn't talk about, things that weren't his own secrets.

And then he'd have to explain Rain.

Oh boy.

* * *

That evening, when they all settled around the campfire for dinner, he had to warn his companions that Rain had called and would be joining them soon. He figured he had a little time left to figure out how to tell them he wouldn't be coming alone.

It didn't seem like the right time anyhow, he reasoned. Though Zack was happy that Cloud was going to be reunited with his brother, Angeal and Sephiroth barely reacted to the news. He would have thought Sephiroth, at least, would be more eager.

But just after dinner, Sephiroth came to him to ask for Rain's phone number. Cloud's eyebrows jumped to his hairline. He had expected that days ago. Since Sephiroth had said nothing until now, he had thought he'd be content to wait until Rain came back.

"Uh…" Cloud said.

Now that it was happening, he didn't really know how to answer. Would Rain be offended if Sephiroth got his number? Then again, Rain was the one who wanted to keep an eye on the SOLDIER. That Sephiroth was still willing to talk to him was a good thing, right? He could hardly imagine the man plaguing his brother with phone calls until he got the information he so obviously wanted out of Rain.

"Okay," he decided. "I'll just send him an email so that he knows who is calling."

"Of course," Sephiroth answered, not batting an eyelash.

The email was sent, the number traded, and Sephiroth thanked him and hobbled away. Cloud could only stare after him, curious.

* * *

Sephiroth sat down on a rock near the mouth of the tunnel and leaned his crutch against his side. Drawing his PHS from his pocket, he allowed his gaze to wander in the starry sky.

The rings dragged on until he began to think Rain wouldn't pick up. Then he did. A silence settled on the line.

"I appreciate that you agreed to speak with me."

"I'm curious. If you wanted to ask for that kind of information on the phone, you'd have done it long ago."

That kind of information. Once more, Rain made it obvious he was perfectly aware of what Sephiroth wanted from him, which could only mean he had these answers.

Sephiroth calmed his breathing and focused on the reason for his call.

"Genesis."

"What about him?"

"What did you expect would happen if you sent us here?"

Rain stayed silent.

"Do you know what state he is in?" Sephiroth pressed on.

"Not precisely. Still degrading, I expect. Probably too weak to do any kind of damage to you lot."

"Too weak to battle us and die with honour."

Rain's voice dropped.

"I wouldn't have asked that of Angeal. I'm not that cruel."

"What did you expect _me_ to do, then?"

"… I don't know. What are you planning to do?"

The leather of Sephiroth's glove creaked as he clenched his fist.

"Is this some kind of test?" he asked, voice tight.

"Is it?… Maybe. Mostly, like I said, I wanted you out of the way. Someone would have had to take care of him, sooner or later. If it allows me to better understand the kind of person you are, I guess it's a bonus."

For someone so secretive, Rain could be incredibly frank. Sephiroth raised his free hand to his brow.

"I don't understand you at all."

"I'd feel better if the reverse wasn't also true."

A hint of dry humour had slipped in that statement to disappear at once, as if Rain hadn't premeditated it and wasn't happy about it. If that man could be blunt, Sephiroth didn't see why he should refrain.

"Can Genesis be healed?"

A brief silence.

"Probably."

"Probably?" he repeated, narrowing his eyes in annoyance.

"Yeah. In some kind of universe, it would happen."

"What kind of an answer is that? You are not making any sense," he sighed.

He couldn't even find it in himself to stay angry with that man. He was too much of an enigma.

"I mean I am sure there is a way, or maybe one chance in a million."

"You don't know how it can be done."

"No. Just that it can be done."

Which was incredibly helpful. He sighed again and dragged a hand through his hair, suddenly feeling very tired. This conversation was not going how he had hoped it would.

"… I could find someone."

Rain's voice was hesitant, nearly timid.

"Someone?"

"Someone who might help. Or not. I don't like the idea of dragging them in that mess, but it's the only way I can think of."

"I see."

There was another lull in the conversation.

"Would you be able to forgive him?" Rain asked, sounding genuinely curious.

"What are you asking?"

"Just that. I find it curious that you'd willingly look for a cure for Genesis. He left you both behind, then dragged Angeal down with him. Don't you resent him?"

"I do. But if this goes on, Angeal will never stop mourning for him."

"Hm. You'd do it for Angeal, then?"

"Is that a satisfactory answer?"

"… I guess."

Sephiroth couldn't help it. A slow rumble of a laugh dragged itself from the depths of his throat and morphed into a deep chuckle.

"I don't think I have ever met anyone quite like you."

Rain seemed thrown.

"… Oh," he only answered.

"Will you bring that person?"

"I'll try. If they refuse, I'm not insisting."

"Very well. I can agree with that."

"Then it's a deal. Tell Cloud I'll be away a few days more."

Rain hung up. Sephiroth wondered if he should have thanked him.


	8. Chapter 7

**Note:** So, so late. I'm going to spare you the excuses and just say I'm sorry. Hopefully next chapter should come quicker, but since I feel I'll have more and more work getting the story up to par for your viewing pleasure, I'll spare us the pain and just not give a deadline. I definitely hope to have something up before the end of the year, though! But it may only be a new, five chapters story I'm nearly finished with. :)  
But hey! This chapter is long and plenty of interesting things happen!

(_faunalind_: I'm going to answer to you here since you disabled your PMs. Don't forget Rain had plenty of time to get used to Zack being alive while he was still in Cloud's head. That being said, you're right, he's being pretty distant… The reason why will be addressed in time!)

Published on: 11/11/2012

* * *

**Chapter 7**

* * *

Genesis' stare on Angeal was eerily unrelenting. He didn't even seem to be blinking. Cloud fidgeted, ill at ease.

He usually didn't come down to Genesis' chamber, but lately Sephiroth had taken to accompanying Angeal and Zack when they brought meals to their prisoner. Since Cloud found this sudden interest curious and he was a bit sick of staying alone when they went down, he had decided to come with them this time.

Besides, Sephiroth had gotten rid of his crutch that very morning, even though he was still limping, and despite everything Cloud was worried. Despite the liberal use of a Restore Materia, it said a lot about SOLDIER that the stubborn man could walk unaided not even three weeks after getting his knee nearly crushed to bits. Most people would have had to live with the consequences of such an injury for the rest of their lives.

Angeal was attempting small conversation with Genesis, who was only answering with sneers and cutting, barely coherent rebukes.

"Still better than before," Zack commented in a whisper to Cloud.

They were standing with Sephiroth outside the doors, as Genesis reacted badly to more than one person coming in.

"D'you think he can heal?" Cloud breathed back.

Zack only shrugged, mouth bent in an uncertain grimace. Angeal got out, apparently unruffled, and Sephiroth pocketed the Materia that would keep the doors closed. Without a word, they all started on the way back.

This routine was beginning to wear on all of them. Could Genesis heal? Did they want him to? Were they helping, and should they? These questions buzzed in Cloud's mind, and he wished Rain would hurry and get there so something would _happen_. Even that dreaded conversation with Tifa would be a welcome relief, at this point.

A group of Evilgoyles ambushed them and Cloud had to fall back. Damn monsters! They had already explored all the caverns, how come there were always some of them left? He would have felt frustrated at being of so little use in the fight, but he noticed Zack and Angeal weren't doing much themselves, content to let Sephiroth vent his own frustration of the past few weeks. Now Cloud didn't know whether to feel awed by the man's amazing fighting style or sorry for the monsters.

"Hey, wait up, man!" Zack called, laughing, as Sephiroth went chasing after his last prey. "Damn, eager much?"

They had to run after him as Sephiroth practically flew in a tunnel. All their good humour disappeared when they heard the metallic clang of blades clashing. They rushed around the corner to find a rather unexpected scene: Sephiroth was locked in a stalemate with Rain.

Although a frown was on his face, Cloud's brother seemed unimpressed by the pressure Masamune was applying to his sword. His eyes were just as solidly locked to Sephiroth's as their blades were. The last Evilgoyle lay dead at his feet.

"Did I steal your kill?" he carefully said. "Sorry for that."

Sephiroth snorted. Then he consented to break their stare down and returned Masamune to his side. Rain visibly relaxed and Cloud rushed to him, elated.

"Rain! When did you get here?"

"Just now. You weren't answering your phone, so I figured you lot were down here."

They shared a hug.

"Glad to see you, mate," Zack said, smiling. "It was beginning to get a bit boring out here."

Cloud abruptly felt embarrassed.

"Oh, hum, that's right. Rain, uh, I couldn't quite figure out how to tell them you weren't coming alone."

Some eyebrows rose at that, though Sephiroth didn't look very surprised.

"What's that mean?" Zack asked. "Did you bring some friends?"

"You could say that. Some welcome and some… not so much."

Rain looked pretty sour when he said that. Cloud winced.

"Was she that annoying?"

"If I have to hear her comment on men's hygiene habits just one more time, I swear to Gaia, something painful will happen. Thankfully, we picked up someone she could chat with."

That was the first Cloud heard of this.

"Oh? Was that why you had to make that detour?"

Rain answered with a grunt, but Cloud noticed he had once more locked eyes with Sephiroth. It didn't seem to be a challenge, though, as Sephiroth actually seemed to relax a bit. It made Cloud really curious to know what these two had talked about on the phone when he had given Rain's number to Sephiroth.

"Let's go back so I can introduce everyone," Rain suggested.

He turned on his heel to do just that, then glanced over his shoulder.

"Actually, Zack, would you mind going first?"

"Huh? Why?"

Rain shrugged.

"Humour me?"

Zack threw him an odd look, but consented.

"You are a weird, weird guy. What, did you get Shinra to set an ambush up there or something?"

"No offense, but if I did that, I would make sure to set the strongest of you three up for the fall."

"That's not you, Zack," Cloud chirped helpfully.

"Hey, not you too, Spike! Besides, you don't know that! Especially with Sephiroth being three-legged until this morning!"

"Do you want to test that theory, Zack?" came Sephiroth's smooth reply.

He sounded so smugly unconcerned that even Zack had to shut up lest he dig himself in a hole. He was still muttering to himself when they cleared the last corner before camp.

There, he suddenly froze. Cloud peered around his shoulder to see a girl no less than ten feet away. Dressed in a practical pale pink dress, she had her hands clasped before her, and a hopeful smile lit up her face and made her pretty features seem stunningly beautiful.

"Zack!" she cried out. "I thought I recognized your voice!"

She rushed to him and hugged him around the middle. Zack embraced her back, though he seemed at a complete loss for words. Rain stepped around him with a weirdly fond look. Cloud made to follow, but suddenly found himself face to face with a pretty girl of his own.

"Cloud! There you are!" Tifa exclaimed. "I can't believe how much time coming here took. And that guy wouldn't even let me call you!"

She suddenly hugged him and he stood there, overwhelmed and stiff as a board. She pulled back barely a second later and scrutinized him head to toe.

"Huh. You are not a SOLDIER. You didn't make it yet?"

His face couldn't get any hotter. It would explode and splatter everyone with disgusting brain goo. Seriously.

"What is this?" Angeal grunted, pushing past them to get to the camp, and Cloud could have thanked him on his knees for the interruption. "A bunch of teenage girls, that's your notion of helpful friends?"

"Hey!" Tifa protested.

Rain shrugged and averted his eyes, apparently deciding that explaining himself would use far too many words. Zack seemed to find his brain back and he took the unknown girl by her shoulders, drawing back to look at her.

"Aerith, what are you _doing here_? Don't you know how dangerous this is?"

The girl, who was apparently his famous girlfriend, sobered and looked up at him.

"I do. Rain explained everything to me, but he also said I could help you and your friends."

"You dragged her into this?" Zack snarled at Rain, suddenly not amiable at all.

"Zack, wait! He didn't drag me into anything," Aerith pleaded. "He explained, and then he gave me a choice. He said you were in no danger and that you would make it without me, but I thought long and hard about it… and I decided that if I could help, I should!"

Zack seemed at a loss, caught between wanting to strangle Rain and appease his girlfriend. Tifa was thankfully too caught up in the drama to pay any more attention to Cloud, who noticed that Sephiroth was pinning a particularly intent stare on Aerith.

Rain cleared his throat. He now seemed somewhat annoyed at having to deal with the insanity of so many people.

"Let's just sit down and talk about all this, okay?" he sighed, heading his own words.

Cloud gratefully rushed to sit next to him, but since nothing was ever that easy, Tifa made a point of sitting at his other side. When all were settled, Rain glanced at a shadowed corner.

"I won't ask that you join us, but at least show yourself."

They all had the extreme surprise of seeing a man detach himself from the shadows and step forward. Sephiroth, Zack and Angeal immediately had their weapons in hand, and Cloud had to wonder how even three SOLDIER Firsts could have missed a man dressed in a _bright red coat_ standing just twelve feet away.

"I hate it when you do that," Tifa said indignantly. "How long were you standing there? I thought you were outside!"

"I was. For a while," the man answered, in a deep and rumbling voice.

Rain said nothing, but the look he threw at Angeal seemed to say "how's that for a helpful friend?".

"Who the hell are you?" Sephiroth growled.

"My name is Vincent Valentine. And you must be Sephiroth."

Vincent seemed pretty interested in him.

"Vincent is a friend," Rain added. "He agreed to help me with a few things. The girl next to Cloud is Tifa Lockheart, and she is here through absolutely no choice of my own. Please ignore her."

Tifa reached around Cloud to try and swat him, but Rain effortlessly blocked her hand. Evidently, they had developed quite the habit.

"And a few of you know of Aerith Gainsborough."

"Of course."

That had been Angeal. Cloud hadn't been aware Zack had introduced his girlfriend and his mentor… And judging from Zack's perplexity, he hadn't. First Sephiroth, now Angeal; was this girl some sort of celebrity or what?

"You know Aerith, Angeal?" Zack asked.

"I know _of_ her, like Rain just said. She is quite well-known among some of Shinra's people. I also noticed a while back that you had met her."

"She's my girlfriend," Zack said, frowning. "Has been for a few months now, right?"

"Hm hm," Aerith smiled gently back at him and nodded, quite content to sit beside him and hold his hand.

"But I never got why Turks were hanging around her all the time. That's what we are talking about, right? And by the way… they didn't come all the way here with you, did they?"

He sounded alarmed, as if the thought had just occurred to him.

"No," Rain said.

"Uh… How…?"

"I took care of it," Valentine provided, just as succinctly as Rain.

Cloud remembered what Rain had been saying about picking up a friend who could take care of Turks. From Vincent's unruffled answer and Zack's baffled stare, he hadn't been exaggerating.

"… Right. Anyway, what _is_ that about? Aerith?"

Her pretty smile had dipped around the corners and she looked hesitant. She glanced at Rain, questioning him.

"We might as well talk about it, since it's for that reason that I asked you to come," Rain said, gaze soft. "Do you want me to…?"

She shook her head before he could finish, sitting up straighter.

"No, I'll say it. It's my story to tell. And besides, I know you don't like to talk much."

Her tone was teasing, and they shared a smile. Cloud immediately noticed the unusual fondness in Rain's expression. Unfortunately, Zack seemed to notice it too. He only blinked, not yet jealous, but a hint of suspicion in his eyes. Then Aerith started talking and he aimed all his attention at her.

She told them of the Cetra, an ancient race that had been steadily dwindling down since thousands of years ago, and of which she was apparently the last descendant. She told them of the Cetra's unique link to the Planet and the Lifestream, and of how much Shinra was interested in her and how they had been keeping her under surveillance for years.

"That's amazing, Aerith," Zack breathed.

"I'll say!" Tifa exclaimed, eyes wide. "You can really talk to the Planet?"

Aerith smiled timidly.

"Well, it's more that I can sometimes hear her thoughts, or something like that."

"Awesome! I can't believe these rats at Shinra would want to use you for money. If they come for you, call me and I'll come kick their asses!"

Aerith giggled and thanked her. Apparently, Cloud thought, Tifa had found herself a new friend during the journey to Banora.

"And you thought her abilities could help Genesis?" Sephiroth abruptly said.

He was talking to Rain, and it seemed to come from so far out of left field that Cloud had to wonder if he had missed a part of their conversation. Rain didn't react, apparently unsurprised, but Angeal and Zack had both frozen.

"Like I told you, I have no idea if this will work. But if someone can help, it's Aerith. Just don't get your hopes too high."

This was actually aimed at Angeal. Angeal didn't look like his hopes had even had the time to raise a head, let alone get too high; he was too thunderstruck.

"Help Genesis? What do you mean?"

Rain threw a glance at Sephiroth, who was studiously not looking at Angeal. Cloud saw a faint surprised smile appear on his brother's face.

"Sephiroth asked me if I could think of anything that would heal Genesis."

"You did?" Zack blurted out, turning to Sephiroth.

"Sephiroth…" Angeal could only say.

A lesser man might have blushed. Sephiroth simply gave a toss of his head and ignored the both of them. It made Angeal smile with something akin to wonder. He turned to Aerith.

"And you agreed to this?"

"Rain only told me you had a friend who had gotten very ill because of Shinra, and that he might need the Planet's help. I don't know exactly why he thinks I'd be able to help, but if I can do anything, I am willing to try. Apparently, Rain knows a lot of things I don't…"

She seemed a bit baffled when she said that, and it drew a laugh from Zack and knowing smiles from most of them. Even Vincent, Cloud noticed.

"Don't we know what you mean!" Zack proclaimed.

Rain was scowling.

"If you lot are quite finished…"

* * *

Their camp was only meant for four people, all of them men, so they had to improvise a little to settle everyone. Aerith and Tifa got their own little alcove, separated from the rest of them by a makeshift screen made of a blanket and a few pieces of wood. They pooled the two group's supplies and gathered around dinner. It was already late and the newcomers had been travelling all day: it was agreed anything else could wait for the morning.

Cloud thought it felt a bit weird to have so many people around all of a sudden, but it was nice. Tifa was hounding him for answers and he told her as much as he could: more or less what he had told the three SOLDIERs about the nature of his brother.

"You had that guy in your head all your life?" she exclaimed, appalled. "That must have been so annoying!"

"Of course not!" he rebuked. "It was great having someone like Rain to talk to. His quick thinking got me out of more than one tight spot, and he's always so calm…"

Tifa huffed and crossed her arms.

"Yeah, right. Calm? Blank is more like it. You shouldn't let someone like him boss you around, Cloud! He just likes to pretend he's better than the rest of us. You don't even know where he came from!"

"Why are you so hard on him?" he asked, more and more surprised. "What did he do to you?"

"To me? Nothing. But none of what you said explains why that guy felt it was smart to blow up a Mako reactor!"

Rain had been holding a quiet conversation with Vincent Valentine who was sitting next to him, having deigned to leave the shadows to get some sustenance. At Tifa's outburst, Cloud's brother looked up.

"Talking about me?"

"Who else goes around blowing up Mako reactors?" Tifa accused, glaring. "And after having possessed Cloud for years like a creepy ghost, too. What, are you some alien from outer space bent on destroying mankind?"

"You destroyed a reactor?" Sephiroth jumped in, eyebrows raised high.

He had been keeping a close eye on Rain, clearly unwilling to let him leave his sight for now.

"I didn't blow it up," Rain answered, rolling his eyes.

"It was a close thing!"

"And Vincent helped."

Vincent didn't dignify that with a comment, opting instead to stay focused on his dinner. It felt weird to see him eat normal food, as Cloud had been nearly sure he was a vampire or something.

"But you nearly destroyed a reactor," Sephiroth insisted.

"Yes. So?"

"Why did you do that?

"… Let's keep this kind of questions for tomorrow."

Sephiroth raised his eyebrows once more, but didn't pursue the matter. There was a bizarre lack of enmity between him and Rain at the moment. Cloud had to wonder how much of that was due to the lighter way Rain seemed to be carrying himself since he had arrived in Banora. Clearly, what he had been doing in Nibelheim had mattered a lot to him and his plans. That success had had a positive effect on his mood.

He wasn't the only one to be happier that evening, actually. Zack and Aerith barely left each other's side, engrossed in a conversation about, of all things, flowers and wagons, from what Cloud heard of it. Hope had finally reached Angeal's heart and the load on his shoulders seemed lighter, the lines on his face softer. Sephiroth's adamant watch of Rain's every movement gradually relaxed until he seemed content to bid his time for the evening. As for Cloud himself, with his brother in arm's reach and Tifa chattering endlessly about everything he had missed in Nibelheim since he had left, he discovered he couldn't quite stop smiling.

Maybe everything would eventually end up alright, after all.

* * *

The doors to Genesis' chamber opened slowly. As soon as she saw the huge statue in its centre, Aerith gasped, wide-eyed.

"This place…"

"What's up, Aerith?" Zack asked worriedly.

The girl turned to Rain, like she expected him to explain something, but he was inspecting the place with pensive eyes.

"The presence of the Planet is strong, here," Aerith breathed.

She slowly stepped forward. Genesis sat at the foot of the statue, looking unblinkingly at them all. His hair was completely white and bandages still littered his body. Aerith stopped at the threshold, hesitating. Zack was instantly by her side.

"I'll come with you. I can't let you go inside alone."

Aerith looked unsure.

"Actually… Rain… would you mind coming instead?"

They all turned to Rain, who merely tilted his head in interrogation.

"The Planet's voice is strong around you, too. I felt it the first time we met," Aerith said, gazing down. "I think it might be easier if you are here."

Something dark flitted in Rain's eyes, but he nodded and joined her without a word. Aerith smiled at Zack before entering, but though Zack smiled back, Cloud noticed with worry that he began frowning as soon as she turned. Cloud would have to talk to Rain soon about this. He didn't want to have to worry about his brother clashing with his best friend in addition to his hero.

They all stared at the two of them as they strode through the room. Genesis stood with difficulty, wary of the two new faces approaching him. Echoes of his voice reached the group staying behind the door.

"_Dreams of the morrow hath the shattered soul, Pride is lost, Wings stripped away, the end is nigh._"

Aerith and Rain stopped, still a respectable distance from Genesis. The young woman was prudently staying behind Rain.

"And who might you be?" Genesis added, face gaunt and voice hoarse. "New jailers for the old prisoner?"

Cloud thought with a hint of trepidation that he actually sounded saner than the day before. By the way Angeal's shoulders had tensed, he had noticed too. Aerith stayed silent, and Rain grudgingly answered.

"Genesis Rhapsodos. Former SOLDIER First Class."

"That's me. And you are?"

"… Someone trying to help."

Genesis laughed, and it was still an ugly sound that made Cloud shiver.

"Are you here to attempt and 'redeem' me too, then? How foolish."

He slowly stepped forward, but what should have been an intimidating act lost its effect under the weight of his wounds.

"_My friend, the fates are cruel…_"

Rain's hand flew to his sword and Genesis stopped and tensed. Angeal had flinched, ready to intervene, but Rain didn't draw. He didn't let go of his weapon either. With his back turned to the door, Cloud couldn't see his brother's face, but he noticed the tight grip he kept on the hilt and the suddenly wary look in Genesis' eyes.

When Rain spoke again, his voice was so low Cloud's unenhanced hearing nearly missed it.

"How long are you going to pretend your fate is not your own? Saying your faults and failures are only the result of your Goddess' will… Aren't you tired of being a victim?"

"This world made me a victim. I am merely rebalancing the scales," Genesis warily replied.

"No. You are desperately begging for someone to drop the reason of your existence in your lap, rather than actually working at finding it in yourself. Grow up."

Genesis took a step toward him, pale with anger. Rain drew his sword, then, and pointed it at him. Genesis jumped back and clumsily drew his own rapier, which they had failed to get away from him.

"Is that really how you want it to end? You drowning in your pain and your bitterness, lashing away at everyone that still cares about you despite it all? Didn't you want to be a hero?"

There was a strange weight to Rain's voice, like something old and still painful. Cloud shifted and forced himself to not run to his brother's side.

"_Hero of the dawn, Healer of worlds…_" Genesis quoted in a breath, then, louder as if to convince himself: "I will be! I will."

Rain lowered his sword to his side and tiredly shook his head.

"No hero would have forced his friends to share his sins. You truly are pitiful if you can't realize their pain."

Cloud hadn't expected Rain's words to have any impact on Genesis, but the man looked confused. He blinked hard and stared at his rapier with a frown, tottering on his feet. Rain took the opportunity to interrogate Aerith with a jerk of his chin. She nodded, and they stepped away from Genesis and toward the door. As soon as they were out, Sephiroth snatched the usual Materia from the pedestal. The door closed on Genesis' unreadable expression. Cloud rushed to Rain's side and put a hand on his arm.

"Are you all right?" he asked worriedly.

Rain looked bone-weary, but he managed a small smile.

"Yeah. Don't worry. Just bad memories."

Although Sephiroth remained impassive, Angeal was frowning.

"Was antagonizing him like this really a good idea?"

Rain didn't answer and simply turned to Aerith. Her hands clasped under her chin, she looked pensive. Zack threw a concerned arm around her shoulders.

"I'm okay," Aerith said, clearing her throat. "And I think Rain was right to do that. I could feel the Planet around, observing. She is watching this man, but she is wary of him. And sad, too. It's like she wants to save him, but she can't do that until he has saved himself."

"Saved himself…" Zack repeated. "What does that mean?"

"I think she wants him to remember himself. If he can find peace, she will help."

"Meaning the Planet can actually help against the physical degradation?" Sephiroth asked, his stare intense, before turning to Rain. "You were right. Once again. How could you possibly have known that?"

"I told you I didn't know anything. It was just a guess."

"And you formulated the hypothesis that the planet's essence might have an effect on the J cells… from what, thin air?"

"Oh Gaia, there he goes again," Zack said with actual humour.

"It's a valid question and you know it," Sephiroth insisted, frowning.

"All your questions are valid," Rain retorted curtly. "That's the problem, because you've got plenty. And every right to quite a few answers, too."

He sighed dejectedly, but although he seemed worried and his eyes automatically searched for an exit, he made no move to escape the room. Cloud couldn't help squeezing his arm, hope growing in his heart and his eyes. Sephiroth looked surprised.

"Does that mean you will actually stop evading?"

Rain crossed his arms and looked at his feet, tense.

"I will answer a few," he said, to Cloud's delight.

Tifa mock-gasped.

"Quick, fireworks!"

"Not for you," Rain instantly rebuked.

He ignored her cry of protest and looked Sephiroth in the eye.

"I will answer every question you have about your origins and your nature. Everything you have been searching for in Shinra; if I know it, I'll tell you. It's what you wanted from me, right?"

Sephiroth's eyes had gone wide with surprise and hope. Angeal clapped him on the shoulder, happy for him.

"That's great, my friend!"

Rain anxiously averted his eyes.

"It's your story… But you must know it's not a pretty one, and I…"

He stopped, as if unsure. Sephiroth tilted his head. Although he looked eager, he was not getting as overbearing as he had been that day in a dingy hotel in Midgar when Cloud had first talked about the source of the J cells.

"Yes?" he encouraged, voice deep and deliberately calming.

To Cloud's huge surprise, the tone seemed to work on Rain. And here Cloud had thought his brother would never be receptive to anything from Sephiroth!

"I'd feel better if you didn't learn it alone," Rain said.

To Sephiroth's credit, he immediately glanced at Angeal. His friend looked touched.

"You want me to be there?"

"Don't look so surprised. With everything that has come to light about you this past year, I think it'd only be fair if you knew just as much about me."

Angeal smiled, grateful. Rain looked relieved. When Sephiroth turned to him, he wordlessly nodded. Tifa crossed her arms, pouting.

"And what about the rest of us, then?" she huffed, even though Aerith giggled at her. "Left in the ditch to rot with the roadkill?"

"You can play hide and seek with Vincent, if you want," Rain said in a rare show of good humour.

Tifa glared and Zack let out a bark of laughter. Then he glanced self-consciously around him.

"By the way, where is that guy?…"

They started warily glancing around, looking for an invisible red coat, while Rain shrugged in his version of "I told you so". He interrogated Cloud with a single glance, making sure he didn't resent not sharing the confidence to come. Cloud grinned, already overjoyed that he was willing to put that small bit of trust in Sephiroth. Of course he was curious, but the least he could do was to grant his hero his privacy.

"I'm sure everything will be fine," he whispered. "You'll see!"

Rain's answering smile was strained, but Cloud could tell he wanted to believe it too.

"Time will tell," he simply answered.

He turned to walk out, Sephiroth and Angeal dutifully following.

* * *

They had been gone for about an hour, now. Cloud had to admit he was getting antsy. Rain had made such a big deal of it, he hoped nothing bad would happen.

Tifa and Zack were happily sharing stories about Gongaga and Nibelheim while Aerith, who had known nothing but the under-Plate Midgar before Rain had come for her, listened with rapt attention. Cloud felt a pang of sympathy for the city girl. He had noticed she was even kind of afraid of the blue sky, so used was she to see the Plate above her head. How miserable was that? To think someone who talked to the Planet had led that kind of existence…

Cloud was a bit too distracted to participate in the conversation, so he made himself busy by checking the supplies. He soon felt an intense stare on him. He glanced around the cave and was surprised — alright, and maybe a bit spooked — to find Vincent looking straight at him. When had the guy even came in? When their eyes met, Vincent came closer and settled on the ground not too far from Cloud. Without a word, he set to cleaning his gun. Nervous, Cloud was about to ignore him and go back to his task when he finally spoke.

"You're… Cloud Strife. Rain's brother. Right?"

Cloud nearly started and told himself off for being so jumpy. Vincent was a friend of his brother, surely there was no reason to be scared of him!

"Hum… Yeah," he answered, trying to sound casual. "We are not blood-related, though."

"Aren't you?"

Vincent looked up at him.

"Hum…" he said after staring for a few seconds. "I guess it's a question of interpretation."

Cloud's heart jumped in his chest. Did he mean what he thought he was saying? Could it be… Rain had told Vincent who he was and where he was coming from? And if that was the case, did it mean Cloud's guess on Rain's identity was right? Did he dare ask? Should he? No… Before anything, he had to talk to Rain about it. It was the least he could do.

Just then, Angeal and Sephiroth came in. They all expectantly looked up, but Sephiroth, his expression closed, scanned the cave with a sweeping look of his peculiar eyes. He located Vincent and went straight for him. Surprised, Cloud scrambled out of the way.

"Valentine. If I may talk to you in private?"

Vincent looked at him for a moment, then he nodded and got up to follow him away. Everyone else turned to Angeal, who merely shook his head with a sigh. He gestured for Zack and Cloud. Cloud eagerly joined him while Zack excused himself to the girls.

"What's up?" Zack asked, trotting to Angeal's side.

"Well, Sephiroth got his answers."

He shrugged and led them to an adjacent cave where Tifa and Aerith wouldn't hear them. He turned back to Zack and Cloud.

"He asked me to update you two with the salient facts. He seems to think he owes you that much."

Cloud felt warm inside, surprised pleasure making his way to his face. Zack seemed equally flattered.

"That means he trusts us somewhat, right? I'm glad! Sometimes it's hard to tell if you are making any impact on that guy!"

Angeal gave a small smile, but his mind was clearly elsewhere.

"So, what did Rain have to say?"

"Well," Angeal sighed. "Apparently, Sephiroth is Hojo's very own biological son."

"No way," Zack said, unable to believe it. "Hojo? That greasy guy?! There is no way he can share any DNA with Sephiroth! It'd be like comparing a dead fish and a… a…"

"Hojo…" Cloud said, confused. "It's that guy Rain mentioned once, right? The one in charge of Sephiroth's physicals?"

"That guy is creepy as all hell, Spike!" Zack burst out. "He's Shinra's head scientist, and you wouldn't believe the stories I heard about him. A woman would have to be seriously messed up to get in bed with him!"

"Watch your words, Zack," Angeal growled. "That messed up woman was Sephiroth's mother. Rain was very clear about that: Hojo is Sephiroth's father and he is a hundred percent certain of this information. Besides, it all makes sense in the end."

"How so?" Cloud couldn't resist asking.

"Because Hojo is just the type to use his own offspring in unethical and dangerous experiments."

And he went on to describe Project S, Hojo's lead project, which had involved nothing less than injecting big quantities of J cells in a foetus while it was still developing in its mother's womb.

"Directly in the foetus?" Zack gasped. "But it's that stuff they inject SOLDIERs with! Cloud was even violently allergic to it! What if the foetus had died?"

Cloud himself was appalled. What he had learned about Project G, Angeal and Genesis was already pretty unsettling, but it seemed this Hojo guy was even further gone than Hollander!

"I doubt Hojo would have cared much about that," Angeal said, his face grave, "except that he would have had to work harder to create the perfect soldier."

"And the mother?" Cloud asked, heart in his throat. "She actually agreed to that?"

"Rain admitted he didn't know much about Sephiroth's mother, other than that her name was Lucrecia Crescent and she was a scientist working with Hojo at the time. He sent Sephiroth to talk to Vincent, actually, since it appears he knew her."

"Uh. What were the odds?… Wait, forget that, we're talking about Rain."

While Zack rolled his eyes, Cloud was frowning.

"Didn't Sephiroth say his mother's name was Jenova, though? I thought he did."

Sephiroth didn't talk much about himself, but he was sure he had heard him mention this once in conversation since they had fled Midgar.

"That's what Hojo told him," Angeal answered with a smile that was more bitterness than joy. "Apparently, Hojo felt that the real mother of his perfect soldier was not a puny female human scientist, but the source of the J cells itself."

"J cells… Jenova," Cloud breathed, eyes wide.

"That's… seriously messed up, man," Zack said with a shiver. "So then, what's that Jenova thing? Did Rain tell?"

Angeal became a blank mask. Clearly, that information had upset him too.

"Well, it seems every SOLDIER has been injected with cells from a being from out of this world."

And then he told the tale of a creature that had fallen from the sky thousand of years ago and nearly destroyed the entire planet before she was sealed away, in a place where Shinra scientists then found her, only to decide playing with her cells would be an excellent idea to create an undefeatable army. Understandably, Cloud and Zack were pretty shaken.

"So… You had an alien in your head?" Cloud asked, voice very small.

"Apparently. But there is some good news."

"How can _anything_ about this be good?" Zack exclaimed, very pale.

Cloud didn't blame him. _He_, at least, had never made it into SOLDIER. Having Mako injected in your body was one thing, it actually belonged on this Planet. But cells from a powerful alien that had been known to mess with heads…

Angeal smirked. Although a bit under the weather himself, he seemed to derive a wicked satisfaction from something.

"Rain very recently took it upon himself to get rid of her. From the way he said it, I wouldn't be surprised if he chopped her in little tiny pieces and lit her remains on fire. So, there is that."

"Oh," Zack could only say. "So… No more breakdown for you?"

"None. Unless you are planning on doing something particularly stupid, of course."

"Hey, why me?" Zack exclaimed, outraged, while Cloud sniggered at him.

* * *

By the time night fell, Sephiroth still had yet to come back. Valentine had been around, so obviously their conversation was finished. Angeal was reasoning that Sephiroth was probably off somewhere trying to get all of the pieces of his life back into order and that he needed the distance, but Rain was getting more nervous by the hour; it was obvious to see in the glances he kept stealing to the cave exit and in the obsessive way he was cleaning his sword.

With a small sigh, Angeal acknowledged that he should step in. He had been intending to go back to Genesis, with which he had spent most of the day since the Cetra girl had delivered her advice, but he didn't think letting Rain act on his paranoia would be a good idea.

"I'm going to go look for Sephiroth," he said, getting up from his place around the dinner campfire.

"OK!" the ever-reliable Zack cheerfully answered for everyone.

Rain said nothing, but he looked at him and the tension around his eyes lessened a little. He nodded.

Finding Sephiroth didn't take long. As expected, he had found the highest ground in the vicinity and was firmly planted on his two feet, arms crossed over his chest. His back was to Angeal and his hair was billowing in the night breeze.

"Rain is about ready to come and drag you back inside," Angeal quipped. "Or challenge you to a duel, it's hard to tell."

Sephiroth barely turned his head to acknowledge his presence, not yet offering him his profile.

"… Is that so."

"It reminds me of the day we found him and the way you looked about ready to strangle answers out of him."

"Answers I now have."

"And how does that feel?"

Sephiroth turned to him, then, eyes blank.

"Are you also afraid I'll fall to Genesis' madness, Angeal?"

Angeal smiled.

"No, I'm not worried about that."

"Because I am not alone?"

"And because Rain challenged you."

Sephiroth raised a questioning eyebrow.

"Not to a duel, but that's still just as good as a challenge for you. Because he looks so ready to believe you'll lose part of your sanity, you won't let yourself. That would make him right, and you don't want that."

"Do you really think I am that petty?"

"With Rain? Absolutely."

A surprised smile came to Sephiroth's lips, proof if he needed one that his friend was in no murderous rage.

"That's a bold claim."

"Just admit it, Sephiroth. Rain intrigues you."

Sephiroth scoffed, closing his eyes, but still smiling.

"He irritates me beyond all belief."

"It's good for you," Angeal claimed, smiling himself. "Years with half of Shinra at your beck and call have made you spoiled."

"Isn't that why I had you and Genesis, though?"

"And yet Rain irritates you a lot more than Genesis, and without really trying, too."

Sephiroth didn't deny it. He just turned his face to let the wind play with his hair. He looked content enough, maybe even happy. Finding out he was one of Hojo's projects couldn't have been such a shock. He had had months to get used to the idea following the unveiling of Genesis and Angeal's story. Hopelessly waiting for a confirmation must have been the most taxing, and maybe Sephiroth would have reacted very differently if he had been the only one left; but Angeal was still here, still sane, proof that they could live with that burden.

His parentage actually had to have been the ugliest shock of them all. Sephiroth had always held Hojo in contempt, going so far as to call him "a walking mass of complexes". It seemed, though, that Valentine had successfully distracted him with information about his mother. It had been a long while since Angeal had seen him so at peace.

"Sephiroth," Angeal called. "What are you going to do, now?"

Sephiroth turned back to him, a faint smile still on his lips.

"What do you mean? I am the one who asked Rain to bring that Cetra girl here. I'll at least see how this plays out."

Angeal smiled back, grateful that he hadn't yet completely closed the door on Genesis.

"Bur afterwards? I can't see you moving without some sort of grand plan. Now that you are no longer Shinra, and that you accomplished the goal that made you leave it… what now?"

Sephiroth tilted his head, considering.

"I suppose that depends mainly on Rain."

"Rain?"

"An ex-Turk and a Cetra girl… Strange allies."

"Valentine is an ex-Turk?" Angeal asked, disturbed.

It wasn't so far-fetched given his abilities, but as far as he could fathom, Turks were like SOLDIERs in that regard: there was no "ex-" before their names, because once in, they didn't leave the company. Ever.

"Fascinating, isn't it? And then there is the Mako eyes, the striking resemblance to Strife while they claim to not be blood-related, the way the "Planet's voice" is apparently stronger when he is near…"

"… the time he spent in Strife's head, the Mako crystal in that strange city, his near-encyclopaedic knowledge of all of Shinra's secrets…" Angeal finished for him. "Yes, he is a bundle of mysteries. And his objectives are still unknown to us, even though his actions have thus far seemed to benefit us. You want to keep an eye on him?"

"I don't have anything better to do, short of overthrowing Shinra. And I'm not yet bored enough to get to that."

"… The scariest thing is that you are probably not really joking."

Sephiroth merely answered with a smile.

"Have I been missing dinner? I'm starving," he proclaimed, brushing past him to get to the cliff side.

Gaia help them all if Sephiroth ever _really_ got bored.


	9. Chapter 8

**Note:** Yes, this story is still alive! By the way, for those of you who didn't know, when I'm running late in updating something, I try to leave a short message at the bottom of my author profile to give you some idea of what's happening and what you can expect. For now, I've got the next two chapters written, but correcting them can be very tedious and I like to keep some buffer so I'm sure of where I'm going.  
This one starts just where the previous one ended. Until next time!

Published on: 02/24/2013

* * *

**Chapter 8**

* * *

When Angeal and Sephiroth joined the others in the cave, Tifa and Aerith had already retired to their alcove for the night. Cloud and Zack were quietly talking near the fire, and Rain was exchanging a few words with Valentine further away. Their conversation stopped when the two Firsts came in. Rain threw a piercing look at Sephiroth, who ignored him to retrieve his dinner. Cloud and Zack both turned to Sephiroth and smiled, glad to see him back, and Zack began prattling about some thing of no consequence.

Angeal saw Valentine turn back to the shadows and disappear. Rain came back to the fire and began putting away the tools he had used to take care of his sword. He was cautiously glancing at Sephiroth but the tension was mostly gone from his body language. Figuring he might as well try to pierce some of the mysteries of this man, Angeal approached him.

"Is this a new blade?"

Rain glanced at him, surprised, then at the sword lying by his side.

"I guess. Though it's already in a pretty sorry state considering what few battles it has seen so far."

Angeal examined the weapon more closely. It was a large broadsword of standard quality, barely of a higher make than what most monster hunters would use. Now that he was looking, he could see the hilt had gone somewhat loose despite Rain's best efforts to consolidate it. The blade was also pretty scuffed.

"It does look sub-par for someone enhanced like you."

"It can't be helped. I bought it on Cloud's money, I didn't want to use everything."

"You lost your previous sword, then?"

Angeal swallowed the hint of condemnation that wanted to seep into his voice. The Buster Sword was special to him, and he knew Sephiroth and Genesis also treated their personal weapons with great care. When you lived by the sword and became as good at it as all three of them were, the blade that followed you in every battle was no longer a tool: it became a companion, and about as precious as the men fighting by your side. But for all he knew, Rain had never found that faithful friend and was used to less than satisfying swords. Zack certainly had yet to find his, much to Angeal's regret.

However, Rain's scowl soon seemed to dismiss this possibility. He nodded.

"With all my clothes, my Materia and my own money, I suspect. I'm more upset about the swords, though."

"I take it they were good blades."

"The best," he said with no hint of boasting. "And completely unique, as far as I can tell. It was a set of six swords interlocking into one."

Angeal's eyes widened. From the corner of his eyes, he could see that Cloud and Zack had turned back to their previous conversation and Sephiroth was unashamedly eavesdropping on Rain and him.

"It does sound very interesting! There is no chance to get them back?"

Rain only shrugged, but the movement was gloomy. Sephiroth seized the opportunity to put his empty bowl aside and join them.

"How could you possibly use as much as six swords in any practical way?" he asked, smoothly sitting beside them.

Angeal feared for a moment that Rain would clam up at the intrusion. However, he didn't move except to throw a peculiar side glance at Sephiroth.

"The blades came in a variety of shapes and sizes that made it easy to adapt to different combat situations. They could be merged, wielded separately, or any combination of the two. I am a versatile fighter, so this works best for me. Worked."

His lips thinned, showing his displeasure at having to correct himself.

"What were they called?" Angeal asked softly, because he could relate to such a loss.

"The Fusion Swords."

Sephiroth snorted.

"Quite unimaginative," he said despite Angeal's warning glance.

Rain didn't seem to take offense, though. He shrugged once more.

"I guess I am an unimaginative person."

A short silence settled over them. Rain looked lost in thought, but he was probably not as unaware as he seemed to be of the way Sephiroth was staring at him. Angeal jostled his friend's shoulder, trying to get him to stop. Sephiroth only smiled at him. Sighing, Angeal rose.

"The first watch—"

"Vincent took it," Rain said without looking up.

"Oh," Angeal replied, thrown.

He exchanged a glance with Sephiroth, unsure of how he felt trusting an unknown quantity like Valentine to guard their sleep. There was not much that could be done without alienating their tentative allies, though, and Sephiroth apparently felt the same since he didn't argue.

"I'll take second, then."

"I'll tell him," Rain answered.

"Thanks."

Angeal nodded to Sephiroth and went to join Cloud and Zack where they were settling for the night. Silence reigned over the two men left, but Sephiroth knew Rain wasn't ignoring him. Somehow, this man seemed completely unable to do that.

"… How are you doing?" was asked not too long after, as if to confirm his thoughts.

"Still sane."

Rain snorted.

"I can see that," he muttered. "_Anyone_ can see that."

"Oh?" Sephiroth asked with a bland smile.

Rain glanced at him from the corner of his eyes. He hadn't moved, but Sephiroth could see he was tense. When he next talked, his voice had lowered.

"When Genesis learned the truth about himself, he fled and betrayed Shinra."

"Your point?"

"What would _you_ have done in his position?"

For a short moment, Sephiroth allowed himself to dwell on the question. He thought about learning the secret of his birth out of the blue; he thought about Jenova, the name he had believed belonged to his mother; and more than anything, he thought about Hojo. He let the anger he had been feeling since Rain's revelations burn through his veins, and he tried to picture how much stronger it could have been, how much fury he could have held in his hands. Would he have fled? No. He would have torn down the whole Shinra tower and burned it to the ground, floor by floor if need be.

He snapped out of the illusion. He was fairly sure he hadn't moved an inch, but Rain was taut as a bow and he had a white-knuckled grip on the hilt of the sword lying next to him. There was no fear in his eyes, though. Only something hard and dark.

An unbelievable thrill ran through Sephiroth. This man could see the monster in him, when even Angeal and Genesis barely suspected its existence. He could see it, and he did so without flinching.

"You are a lot more dangerous than Genesis," Rain grimly breathed.

"Which is why you are here," Sephiroth said, staring at him with intensity. "Why you bothered with Angeal, and why you only care about Genesis in so far as I do."

Rain didn't answer.

"One thing I don't understand, though. Why not just kill me? You had the opportunity in that abandoned city."

Rain gave a crooked smirk.

"Good night, Sephiroth."

And thus saying, he got up and walked away.

* * *

Rain still wore that fond smile every time he looked at Aerith. The girls were giggling over one thing or another, and maybe Rain was also looking at Tifa, but it was doubtful that Zack would interpret it in this way.

Cloud winced and decided it was as good a time as any to have that conversation. Sephiroth and Angeal were gone to spend the morning with Genesis in the hope of sparking some sanity back in him, and Zack was still trying to wake up by guzzling way too much of their precious coffee stock. So Cloud stepped up to his brother, bent to his shoulder and asked:

"You got a minute?"

Rain smiled at him, too, which warmed him up inside. Then he nodded and set his empty cup down. He grabbed his sword and got up to follow him somewhere more private.

"Something wrong?"

"Uh, well… Honestly? You need to stop looking at Aerith like that," Cloud said, wincing.

Rain looked surprised.

"Like that?"

"Like she is your long-lost sister or… well, your girlfriend."

Rain shifted on his feet, bewildered.

"I… I do that?"

Cloud laughed.

"Maybe you are rusty at hiding your feelings too? But you definitely do that, and Zack has been giving you kind of evil looks on occasion. You didn't notice?"

"Uh… No."

Rain looked disturbed.

"Well… was she? I mean… your girlfriend?" Cloud asked, suddenly more serious.

Because if she had been, in that future where Rain was coming from, that might just complicate things. To his great relief, Rain shook his head.

"No… We were just… just very close. She did a lot for me. We might have become closer, but…"

Something dark and grim flashed through his eyes.

"Well. Even if it had happened, I wouldn't make a move on her when she still has Zack."

Cloud seized his chance.

"Because Zack is important to you too, right?"

"Right."

Rain had said so mechanically, thoughts elsewhere. Cloud could tell the exact moment when he realized what he had just answered. His eyes widened and he turned back to him.

"Cloud…"

Cloud smiled, though a little sadly.

"It's okay, I had sort of figured it out. I would have been quicker about it if I had just met a man who looked exactly like me and he told me he came from the future, but… figuring out that kind of thing about someone you have known for so long… I guess it's different."

Rain didn't answer, just stared at him. Cloud chanced an awkward grin.

"And, you know! While I was thinking about it, I finally remembered how you got that name, "Rain". I was six at the time, so I had nearly forgotten, but you _did_ say your name was Cloud when we first talked. So if I had remembered sooner…"

He was babbling, he knew that, but he couldn't seem to stop. Luckily, Rain resolved the problem by suddenly hugging him. Cloud froze. Rain had briefly hugged him once or twice before, but only on parting and greeting, and never this spontaneously.

"R… Rain?"

"You are my brother, Cloud. You are my little brother, and I'm damn proud of you."

To Cloud's horror, he felt himself beginning to tear up. Rain drew away and held him at arm's length, his hands warm on Cloud's shoulders, to better look him in the eye.

"I'm not being narcissistic when I say that. Pretty much everyone thinks that if they were to see their younger self in the street one day, they'd march up to them and punch them in the face. And I thought that too. I hated what I could remember of the kid and the teenager I had been. And then I came here and I _met_ you. And you grew up to be an awesome and reliable young man, and it's breathtaking for me to think that there is a part of you in me."

"You idiot!" Cloud said, laughing through his tears. "There is even more of a part of _you_ in _me_! _You_ are the one who taught me how to be awesome and reliable. _You_ are the one who taught me to stop whining, to stop throwing tantrums, to actually think about how to get what I wanted and to never stop until I got it. I have no idea how you became the person you are today without… without…"

"… Me?" Rain suggested, smiling.

"Stop it," he retorted, jabbing him in the stomach. "It's confusing, damn it!"

Rain laughed softly and let him go.

"You're right, it is. And it doesn't really matter, anyway."

Cloud froze while trying to discreetly wipe his tears away.

"It doesn't?"

"No. Because in the end, you and I are different persons. Similar like brothers, but not the same. You won't grow up to be my carbon copy, and that's just as well."

Cloud shyly smiled.

"Yeah… Though I guess I'm mostly done with the "up" part of growing, since we're nearly the same height right now…"

"I'm afraid so."

"Damn. I had hoped I still had a few good inches to go…"

"Sorry to disappoint."

They smiled at each other, warm and loving. It should have felt narcissistic, but like Rain had said, there was no way they could be called the same person. Cloud had so, so many questions. About Aerith, about Rain's Mako eyes and his SOLDIER strength, about his relationship with Tifa, about Sephiroth… But it felt like it would have been wrong and pointless to ask them now.

Rain turned back to the cave they were camping in.

"I guess I should talk to Z—"

The sound of an explosion covered the end of his sentence. It was muffled by distance and stone, but too loud to come from any Evilgoyles in the vicinity.

"What was _that_?" Cloud asked rhetorically, hand flying to his sword.

When he glanced at him, he noticed Rain had paled, eyes unseeing and one hand raised halfway to his temple.

"That's impossible," he heard him whisper.

"Rain?"

Rain snapped out of it and drew his own weapon.

"Find me Vincent or Zack and send him down," he barked. "Guard the girls, _especially_ Aerith!"

Before Cloud could argue, he was rushing towards the inner caves. Cloud closed back his mouth and set his jaw. Rain had just complimented him for being reliable. He knew how to take orders, and he knew better than to argue when someone who obviously knew better than him was entrusting him with responsibilities. No matter how much he wanted to stay close to Rain, he wouldn't let his brother down!

He turned and ran back to the others, half expecting to see Zack rushing in his direction to investigate the explosion… Instead, it was with a very pale Aerith that he nearly collided, at about the same time he started to hear the gunshots.

"Cloud!" the girl panted, out of breath. "It's soldiers, Shinra soldiers! They are attacking us!"

* * *

There had been no warning.

One instant Sephiroth had been standing to one side of the room, face blank, observing Angeal trying to draw a mulish Genesis in friendly conversation; the next second, a large portion of the ceiling exploded down in a shower of stone and dirt and, though he was well out of the way, Sephiroth sank to his knees, suddenly so dizzy he barely remembered his name. He was hearing a loud sound, like white noise drowning the apocalyptic sound of the ceiling collapsing. Some barely conscious part of him wondered if his eardrums had just burst. He tried to touch a hand to his ears to see if they were bleeding, but his arm shook and only half-heartedly rose.

Belatedly, he looked up. A nightmarish creature was crouching on the rubble, all hideous black hide and incandescent green eyes. He should get up and fight it, he thought. Get up… get up…

From very far away, he heard:

"Genesis! Sephiroth! Fight it… It's that thing in your head!"

In his head? Yes, that sounded right. The noise wasn't his burst eardrums, just something in his head. That was a relief. Damaged eardrums would have compromised his balance. Why was that important, again?

Through the cloud of dirt, he saw Angeal stagger to his feet, wide-eyed and panting. The creature growled and turned to him. Before Angeal could even draw his sword in defence, it pounced.

* * *

"What?!"

Cloud nearly took Aerith by the shoulders, but stopped when he saw how terrified she was.

"Where?"

"At the tunnel's entrance! Vincent stopped them before they could come in and him and Zack and Tifa are holding them off, but Zack said to come get you and Rain and to get Angeal and Sephiroth too…"

She gasped, her need for oxygen hindering her panicked babbling. Cloud felt the start of panic himself. Somehow, the enemy had apparently managed to find and engage three of their best warriors down in the tunnels while the rest of them were up there, forced to hold the fort alone. He toyed with the idea of sending Aerith down to warn them, but instantly berated himself. If some monsters found her, she would be helpless; and Rain had said to protect her, not send her in harm's way! But then… No. Rain would realize something was wrong when no reinforcements came. He definitely would.

"Okay," he said, more firmly than he felt because Aerith was deathly afraid and she needed him to be strong. "We'll have to do this on our own for a while. Come on, you can't stay alone in the tunnels."

He suspected it was only the conviction in his voice that made her allow him to tow her back in the direction of the battle sounds. When they came to the deserted campfire, though, she stopped and refused to budge, shaking and white as a sheet. Cloud pointed to the girls' alcove.

"Hide there, I'll send Tifa to protect you!"

He didn't want Tifa anywhere near the battle anyway, and this would make it impossible for her to refuse to get inside. Aerith nodded and gladly scurried in the dark corner while he ran to the fight, heart hammering in his chest.

* * *

The shock tore through part of the blanket around Sephiroth's mind and his eyes widened just as an arc of blood flew upwards. He made it on one knee without really registering it. He could only see this: Genesis collapsing to the ground, three hideous gashes through his chest, at the feet of the horrified childhood friend he had just saved.

Footsteps. Someone was coming. Sephiroth painfully turned his head; he had never been more grateful to see Rain. The man was aggravatingly competent, surely he would be a huge help in getting rid of this creature. Already he was sweeping the room with his eyes, assessing the situation with cool efficiency. But Rain had barely taken three steps inside when he collapsed to his knees, gasping and clutching at his head.

A much hated voice rose in the air.

"Hold, Destroyer! What's that? Another one? Hum… Why are you affected? Normal SOLDIERs shouldn't be…"

It distantly registered as strange that Rain and him growled in perfect unison, with about the same amount of hate in their voices:

"Hojo…"

It definitely was that monster of a scientist's voice, and it was coming from the creature. No. He could see it, now: some kind of harness around the beast's head; there was the blinking eye of a camera. Hojo was watching his creation from afar. The thought sent his blood boiling, enough that he managed to get up.

"This abomination is yours?" Sephiroth growled.

"Surely you didn't just expect to run away with your merry life?" Hojo mockingly scoffed. "I have invested too much in you to let you go, boy, especially now that some blasted meddler managed to do away with my most inestimable raw material."

"Yes, what a pity your precious Jenova is gone," Sephiroth hissed.

"Who told you about that?" Hojo spat, just as hostile. "Were you the one who destroyed her? No matter. At least I managed to scrape enough of what was left to create this most interesting specimen! He is more than suited to bring you back home! Destroyer, get Sephiroth now!"

The creature wailed a deafening assent and ran to Sephiroth, who could do nothing but awkwardly raise Masamune through the haze in his mind.

* * *

"Where are the others?" Zack yelled while they finished dealing with the last wave of assailants.

"There was an attack down there!" Cloud screamed back. "Rain ran back to help without realizing it was a mess here too!"

Zack swore.

"Down in the tunnels? There is only one entrance, how the hell did they manage that!"

Vincent was doing a good job of holding fire against what was probably some of Shinra's best shooters, but it was only a matter of time before he ran out of munitions. Foot soldiers rushed in every time there was a hole in his defence, and it was only the tunnel's narrow configuration that allowed Zack and Cloud to hold them.

They were nearly taken off-guard when, instead of getting the stampede of a half-dozen infantrymen as a warning, two men rushed in and engaged them. Cloud gulped and paled when he saw the glowing eyes of his adversary. These two were SOLDIERs.

It was all he could do to hold on to his belief that nothing would ever be able to keep his brother and Sephiroth busy for long if they actually joined forces.

* * *

Sephiroth knew he hadn't imagined that furious battle cry when the creature reared back with an ear-splitting scream, one of its front paws neatly cut off. From where he had rushed in an instant to attack, Rain looked absolutely livid with rage. However he was also sweating heavily from exertion and his wild swing at the monster had made him lose his balance. When Destroyer retorted with a swing of his tail, the hit connected solidly with his torso and sent him flying through the room.

Sephiroth seized the opportunity to shake some of the fog from his mind and rushed its flank, leaving a long and deep wound that made it wail and turn back to face him. Sephiroth cursed his ailment. Used properly, that attack could have killed a dragon in one strike!

Just when Destroyer was snapping his jaws forward, the blue glow of a Limit Break erupted from another part of the room, flew through the air and tore through the monster's scaly throat underside, blood messily bursting from the carotids. Too slow in his current condition, Sephiroth ended up sprayed with blood and dirt when the creature collapsed on its side, dead.

"_No!_" Hojo screamed. "You useless Hollander spawn, what did you _do_!"

Angeal's Limit Break faded. He staggered then collapsed to his knees, head in his hands.

"Why won't it _stop_!" he moaned.

Adrenaline slowly fading, Sephiroth was feeling even fainter too.

"Burn it!" Rain's voice rasped from somewhere. "To ashes!"

"_No!_" Hojo all but screeched.

Too late: Sephiroth was already whipping out his bracer arm, the fire Materia in it glowing a bright green. He sent the highest level spell he could manage crashing on the monster's body, then did it again and again. Within a minute, even the camera and the microphone were damaged beyond any use, the corpse a revoltingly stinking blackened heap.

Sephiroth gagged at the stench. His magic was completely depleted, but finally, the shroud in his mind vanished.

Angeal scrambled to his feet and rushed back to the other side of the room. Sephiroth's eyes widened. He ran there himself and crouched by Genesis' side. The man was still alive, if barely. Even Angeal's obvious attempts to use Cure on him hadn't done much against the ugliness of his wounds. Genesis was gasping each breath in, face contorted in agony, one of his hands tightly grasping Angeal's.

He slit his eyes open when Sephiroth tentatively took his other hand.

"Ah…" he panted. "Sephiroth… You too… my friend…"

"Don't speak, Genesis, please!" Angeal all but begged, tears in his voice.

Genesis merely smiled, closing his eyes.

"This is… kind of a nice… way to go… actually."

Sephiroth felt him squeeze his fingers and knew it wasn't out of pain. His throat closed. How curious. Was he actually mourning this man?

He heard tired footsteps drawing closer and turned to look at Rain over his shoulder. Whatever the man saw in his eyes made him stop in his steps as if thunderstruck. Rain hesitated, then slowly joined him and set a tentative hand on his shoulder. Sephiroth shivered at the unexpected comforting gesture.

Rain looked up and Sephiroth realized for the first time that they were huddled at the foot of the miraculously intact statue.

"Sorry we didn't completely rid this place of all these J cells, but Genesis is kind of on a tight schedule," Rain rasped. "So if you could still help right now, that'd be very much appreciated."

There was no answer. No flash of light, no heavenly voice, nothing. But as Sephiroth looked down at Genesis in disappointment, he gasped in unison with Angeal. A thin green mist was rising from Genesis' wounds, and soon from his white hair, his shoulders and torso. Genesis' eyes were wide open, his face frozen in a raw expression of divine adoration. Slowly, his eyes closed. A serene smile settled on his lips as he slipped in unconsciousness.

His hair had turned back to their vivid red from before and there was not a trace left of the gruesome wounds. Angeal let an ungloved hand hover above his face.

"He is breathing," he whispered reverently to Sephiroth, eyes shining.

Sephiroth smiled back. Rain was blinking at Genesis, as if not quite believing it had worked.

"Thank you," Angeal fervently told him.

Rain blinked at him, then nodded, his face turning back to something grim.

"I don't mean to be an ass, but I don't think Genesis was the only one running out of time."

"How so?" Sephiroth asked, snapping to attention.

"I asked Cloud to send us help as soon as I heard something going on here. Something is not right up there."

"Let's go," Sephiroth immediately said, rising to his feet.

Angeal gathered Genesis in his arms and rushed out with them. Rain stopped at the door and glanced back at the statue.

"… Thanks for that," Sephiroth heard him say.

Then they were running.

* * *

Aerith was shaking like a leaf. Tifa reached back and squeezed her hand, though she didn't feel very confident herself.

"Don't worry, everyone will be okay," she whispered with a bright smile. "That's what SOLDIERs are good for!"

Aerith gave a shaky nod and Tifa squeezed again before turning her attention back to the main cave. They were huddled against each other in the alcove, Tifa balanced on the ball of her feet in expectation of any attack. She cursed in her mind. SOLDIERs were made for fighting, sure, but what good were they when they didn't show up? Cloud and Aerith's boyfriend were holding the fort alone with that creepy sniper while that stupid Rain and the so-called "best SOLDIER" Sephiroth were nowhere to be seen!

Another round of gunshots. Someone screamed nearby and she cringed. Just thinking about Cloud fending off all these soldiers nearly sent her running back to help them, but Aerith needed her. She was her friend, and Tifa wasn't going to let her stay here alone and terrified. If only that idiot Rain had used his brain before dragging the poor girl in this!

She didn't hear them coming above the battle sounds, but suddenly two men rushed in the cavern and crossed it before she could even begin to react. She barely recognized Rain and Sephiroth, weapons in hand, before they disappeared and she was left gaping at their speed.

"Was that…?"

She didn't finish the thought as the other SOLDIER barged in, that crazy friend of his cradled in his arms—had his hair just spontaneously turned from white to red since the last time she had seen him? What the hell?

Angeal spotted them.

"Come on!" he commanded. "This is the only practicable exit, we'll have to force our way through!"

Tifa nodded and didn't let go of Aerith's white hand.

"We packed everything," she said, for now forcing back her anger at their lateness.

She helped Aerith pick up the bags they had gathered in the alcove. Angeal took as much from them as he could, since his original burden already made him unfit to fight. They ran around the tunnel bend and almost immediately collided with Cloud. He was leaning against the wall, pale and gasping, the hand not holding his weapon clutching his side where blood had tainted the fabric red.

"Cloud!" Tifa exclaimed, alarmed.

She rushed to him, but he gave her a shaky but sincere smile.

"Reinforcements came in just in time."

He jerked his head to the side. Further down the tunnel, Zack and Rain stood on guard while Sephiroth fended off two last attackers, who soon fell to add to the growing pile of bodies on the ground. Aerith gasped and turned her back to the scene and Tifa fought to hold on to her composure. Neither of them were professional fighters and there was so much _blood_…

"Why would they keep sacrificing so many men?" she whispered, disgusted.

"Seems like they finally asked themselves that," Cloud answered, although it had been a rhetorical question. "They stopped coming the instant they spotted Sephiroth."

"Good timing," Vincent said, coming from nowhere and startling everyone like usual. "I was nearly out of ammunition."

"We need to get out," Angeal said, face sombre.

"Cloud said there had been an attack down there?" Vincent asked.

"Yes, but it came from a near vertical tunnel. Climbing it would take too much time and we have no way of knowing if the other side would be guarded."

Zack was sweaty and a cut near his brow had blood running along his face.

"Things don't look too good," he admitted, uncharacteristically solemn.

"We need a diversion," Rain decided in his usual "this is the way it should be" manner.

"To do what?" Tifa huffed. "You think we'd all be able to run out of here and get to safety before the truckload of Shinra goons out there get back on our case? They probably have our cars, too."

"We can, if Sephiroth and I take the fight to them."

Tifa threw her arms in the air, exasperated.

"Like you'd manage that with just the two of you!"

"No," Sephiroth contested, eyes cold and calculating, "Rain's right. The main problem is the snipers, but if we could just get a head start, we are both quick enough to take them down so that the rest of you can flee."

"No one is as quick as you, Sephiroth," Zack said with a tired laugh.

"Rain is," Sephiroth affirmed, which seemed to momentarily stun Zack.

"It's a good plan," Angeal nodded, "and I think I have just what you need."

He shifted his grip on Genesis to show his Materia bracer, where one of the spheres was already glowing bright green.

"Quake," Sephiroth said approvingly.

"Cloud, you'll be okay to run?" Rain asked, eyes piercing.

Although he was still clutching his side, Cloud nodded.

"Not for too long, but I can hold my own for a while."

"Then brace yourself and get ready," Sephiroth ordered. "Get in the jungle and run as far as you can. Rain and I will catch up."

They all nodded and suddenly, the ground was shaking like the end of the world was coming. They heard startled cries from outside and Sephiroth and Rain were gone in a flash of movement so quick Tifa barely caught it.

"Anyone else getting déjà-vu?" Zack asked Angeal and Cloud, smiling, as dust rained on them from the tunnel's ceiling.

The screams outside shifted in tone and gunshots began to ring in the air.

"Go!" Angeal shouted as his spell started to fade.

Zack launched himself out, sword drawn. Tifa took Aerith's hand again, raised her free fist and followed behind him. Angeal and Cloud were quick on their heels, with Vincent bringing up their rear. Some infantrymen immediately tried to attack them, but they didn't have much luck against Zack and Vincent's combined defence. Tifa focused on getting the terrified Aerith to the tree-line, blocking as much of the battle from her as she could. When she sneaked a glance around, she barely saw Sephiroth and Rain; they were blurs of movement right in the middle of the enemy's numbers and men fell by the dozen under their blades. She could admit it to herself, at least: suddenly, they frightened her.

Some soldier rushed toward Aerith and her. Tifa let her fear and her anger lend her strength and laid him out in two quick hits. Master Zangan would have been proud. Heart in her throat, she tugged Aerith forward and they finally made it under the trees. Angeal was already wading in the undergrowth and she focused on following him, glancing back to see Cloud and Zack behind them. Vincent had disappeared again, presumably to provide some cover for Sephiroth and Rain's retreat.

They ran.

Until the sounds of the battle began to wane behind them, and even further, until Aerith collapsed, out of breath and utterly unable to take another step forward. Zack immediately squatted next to her.

"Hey Aerith. Here, I'll carry you."

Aerith gasped and buried her face in his chest, bursting into tears. Zack looked stricken and Tifa glared at him like it was his personal fault that she had been swept in this mess.

"The poor girl is terrified out of her mind. I guess it's not too surprising for a SOLDIER to see so many people dying, but not all of us are professional killers, you know!" she snapped.

Aerith cried even harder and she instantly felt bad. On behalf of who was she mad exactly, Aerith or herself? If she was honest with herself, she wasn't feeling much better than her friend, she was just prouder and better at pretending. Zack's eyes on her could as well have been those of a puppy she had kicked and she felt even guiltier. This mess wasn't his fault in the first place; it was Rain's.

"Tifa…" Cloud whispered, trying to put a calming hand on her shoulder.

She shrugged it off and stepped away, hugging herself. Their three missing members emerged from the trees.

"Why did you stop?" Sephiroth asked. "We have to keep going. The survivors will surely ask for reinforcements."

"Oh, because you left some alive?" Tifa couldn't help but snarl.

Cloud jumped like she had committed some sort of ultimate sin, but Sephiroth barely gave her a glance.

"Is anyone unable to continue?"

"I—I'll carry Aerith," Zack said, voice subdued.

He lifted her off the ground, though he now seemed thoroughly ashamed to be touching her in his blood-splattered clothes. Good, Tifa peevishly thought. He should be. Aerith was too innocent for someone like him.

"Cloud?" Rain asked, coming to his "brother".

"I'd appreciate some support," Cloud admitted.

His face was pale but his smile sincere. Sephiroth wordlessly walked to Angeal and relieved him of Genesis' weight. In silence, they carried on through the jungle.


	10. Chapter 9

**Note:** Strange how I'm receiving mixed reactions about Tifa in this story! Some of you love her, others are very annoyed with her… If that's you, I'm sorry about that! But remember she's a teenager who spent her whole life being treated like a princess by basically her whole village, including Cloud. I always saw her as pretty aloof and selfish at this age. Nibelheim's tragedy forced her to grow up, thankfully, and she _will_ do some growing up in this story, though of course it will have to happen differently. Hope you don't feel like strangling her too much in the meantime. :)

(Coiria, thanks for your suggestion! I think I'll stick with the current title for now, but I like your idea.)

Published on: 05/26/2013

* * *

**Chapter 9**

* * *

They ended up camping in the wild, and without a fire since it would have attracted too much attention. It was going to be a humid and miserable night, but Cloud didn't even think about complaining. They had no choice, and he was still in a much better situation than poor Aerith. She had subdued during the walk and apologized for her outbreak, but she was still pale and had trouble looking anyone but Tifa in the eye.

As a result, Tifa was sitting beside her and looking very protective, and all of them men had by a silent agreement taken turns at the stream near the camp to wash off the blood from their clothes and skin. All of them save Genesis, still unconscious, and Rain… Cloud's brother was squatting in a corner since they had arrived and seemed lost in an intense bout of brooding.

Cloud lowered himself to the ground next to him, worried.

"Hey, Rain, are you alright?"

"I sure hope he is not," Tifa muttered from the opposite end of the camp. "All of this is his fault, after all."

"Tifa!" Cloud exclaimed, scandalized.

But instead of the long-suffering manner in which Rain usually interacted with Tifa, his brother merely gave her an unreadable glance and returned to his contemplation of the ground.

"It's true!" Tifa insisted. "He had to go blow up a reactor and piss off Shinra, and now here we all are!"

"Actually," Sephiroth said, "I doubt they were here for Rain; they didn't seem to recognize him. Most likely, they were looking for Angeal, Zack and me."

"But how did they find us?" Zack asked, worried. "We were so careful!"

"Maybe they asked around in Mideel and someone recognized my description," Cloud suggested, feeling guilty even though it couldn't have been helped.

"I doubt it," Rain finally spoke up. "Mideel is not a very Shinra-friendly town, especially since Banora's bombing."

"You got a better proposition?" Tifa asked, scornful.

"Tifa, stop it! Why are you blaming Rain like that? He did nothing wrong!"

"Cloud is right," Aerith shyly said. "It was no one's fault."

"I am unsure of that."

To Cloud's surprise, the one speaking had been Angeal. He was standing beside the prone Genesis, a no-nonsense expression on his face.

"Don't misunderstand me," he said to Rain. "I am grateful for what you did for Genesis. But I can't help but wonder what that monstrosity that attacked us _was_, when you were so adamant that we were now safe from the source of the J cells."

To Cloud's amazement, Rain closed his eyes and his face became drawn and taut.

"Jenova was destroyed," Vincent answered in his stead. "I was there. We both made sure of that."

Sephiroth had crossed his arms and his face was shuttered. It was obvious he, too, was displeased by whatever had happened in the caves. Cloud expected him to jump at the opportunity to get angry at Rain, but instead he said:

"Hojo as good as confirmed your claims. However, he also mentioned he had somehow used her remains to create that monster. Is this really enough to explain that Angeal, Genesis and I all fell prey to a mental attack you assured us could only come from Jenova?"

Rain was shaking his head with a distressed expression.

"I don't know," he sighed. "I really don't understand. Did I mess up? Were there some live cells left, or was that… thing the result of Hojo's desperation? I have no idea."

_I don't get it at all_, his face was saying, and Cloud understood: nothing like that had ever happened in the future he was coming from. He was completely out of his depth, no bit of otherworldly knowledge left to share.

Sephiroth took a step forward and Cloud tensed. He abruptly felt like they had gone back weeks ago, when Sephiroth had looked ready to do about anything to get some answers out of Rain.

"Then maybe you can clarify this," he hissed. "Hojo himself said that normal SOLDIERs shouldn't have been affected by that monster. Yet you were just as vulnerable to it as Shinra's three prized experiments. _Why?_"

Rain was so high-strung he looked ready to bolt. He met Sephiroth's stare head-on, but Cloud could tell it was out of sheer stubbornness. He didn't answer. Sephiroth's eyes became slits of simmering green. No one else dared to intervene.

"You are no ordinary SOLDIER," Sephiroth growled. "I already knew that. You proved today your martial skills are of a SOLDIER First level, your speed even on spar with mine. And yet every time we had to practically pull answers out of you about Angeal's or my nature, you never deemed it necessary to mention you had some firsthand experience with what we lived. Why? _Who are you?_"

Rain's chin went down without him breaking their staring contest. Although being questioned by Sephiroth usually made him belligerent and he had to have seen him much more furious than this, his body language was screaming defensiveness to Cloud. What was going on?

A coughing fit broke the heavy tension that had settled over the camp.

"Ah! Genesis!" Angeal cried out, redirecting everyone's attention to the red-haired man who was groaning on the floor, apparently awake.

Angeal dropped to his friend's side and Zack rushed to help him, offering his water canteen. Aerith came over too, Tifa in her wake, to assert his health. For a moment, Cloud even saw Sephiroth's eyes sway on the verge of some unnamed expression as he looked in Genesis' direction. Then his face closed up once more and he gave a last, hard glance to Rain before striding to the group.

Cloud stayed by his brother's side and put a hand on his arm.

"Hey, don't worry," he said, trying his best to smile. "Everyone is on edge right now, and you know how Sephiroth can get."

Rain didn't look at him. He took his hand, gently squeezed it, then brushed it off.

"I know, Cloud. I just need a… I need a moment alone. I'll be back."

He stood up and turned to walk away, disappearing between the trees. Cloud could only watch him go, feeling utterly useless.

* * *

Genesis was, incredibly enough, perfectly sane. The difference was so striking it felt like watching a completely different person. Angeal seemed overwhelmed by emotion and let an enthusiastic Zack narrate what had happened to get their motley group together and hiding in a jungle away from Shinra's search parties.

"I… see," Genesis finally said, at a loss for words. "What a curious turn of events. So coincidental, too," he added with a twinge of suspicion. "And where is this strange Rain character?"

"Hiding away somewhere," Tifa snorted.

"He took a moment away from some people who arbitrarily decided he was the source of all evil," Cloud hissed, glaring at her.

Tifa seemed offended and turned her back to him, scoffing. Why was she being so unreasonable about this!

Genesis' eyebrows lifted and he hummed. Then his focus shifted.

"If possible…"

He cleared his throat, looking uncharacteristically hesitant.

"I'd… appreciate it if I could have a word alone with Angeal and Sephiroth," he said, voice stilted.

"Sure!" Zack exclaimed, jumping to his feet like he had been waiting for this signal. "Come on, everyone, time for dinner!"

This was at least one thing nobody felt like quarrelling over. They drifted further away to get their provisions out of the packs, leaving the three SOLDIERs alone. Cloud sneaked a glance at them over his shoulder. Angeal was sitting next to Genesis, a hesitant smile on his face. Sephiroth stood behind him, face unyielding and blank, but at least he seemed willing to listen.

Rain had given them this moment. Why couldn't anyone but Cloud see that? He glanced at the jungle from which his brother had yet to come back, throat closing.

He jumped when a gentle hand touched his arm. He turned to see Aerith there. The young woman made a sincere effort to smile at him.

"Don't worry. I'm sure he'll come back safely."

He smiled back, genuinely touched. There was at least one other person who seemed willing to believe in Rain.

"Thanks. You're right, I'm sure he will."

"While everyone is getting dinner ready, do you want me to take a look at your wound?"

She held up the first-aid kit in her hands, not meeting his eyes.

"Oh!" Cloud said, startled. "That's kind of you, but…"

"It's okay," she said, valiantly looking up. "I can't keep being afraid of a little blood. I agreed to be a part of this, so I should at least do my best to be useful. I know you are all doing your best and that this battle wasn't your fault at all."

What could he answer to that? He smiled again, with a hint of wonder.

"You're being very brave. Sure, I'd like your help. Thanks."

She blushed a little but seemed happy with the praise. Cloud sat down and removed his shirt to let her take a look at his flank and the crude excuse for a bandage he had put there himself.

By the time she was done cleaning and rebandaging the wound, the three SOLDIERs' private conversation had come to an end. Sephiroth was as blank as before, but Angeal and Genesis' interactions were friendly enough and they seemed to be making sincere efforts to return to their old relationship. Genesis even took a moment to apologize to Zack for all the trouble he had caused since Wutai.

"I know words are not much," he said sombrely. "But I will sincerely do my best to atone for everything."

"It's fine, man," Zack answered in typical Zack fashion. "I can tell you're back to yourself. I'm looking forward to working with you!"

They shook hands and Genesis seemed reluctantly grateful for his unquestioning acceptance.

Genesis was still recovering, though, so he ate and went back to sleep, exhausted. The rest of them cleaned up after dinner, then prepared for the night. From the corner of his eyes, Cloud saw Vincent sneak away between the trees with some food. He returned some time later, empty-handed but alone. Cloud slipped in his sleeping bag and lay awake, staring at the night sky between the palm leaves.

Finally, an hour after everyone else had settled down, Sephiroth silently rose from his night watch. Cloud turned to look at him. The SOLDIER was staring at a dark patch of undergrowth from which soon emerged a familiar figure. Rain and Sephiroth exchanged a long, hard look, then turned away from each other. Sephiroth went back to his vigil and Rain crept to his sleeping space. He wordlessly put a hand on Cloud's shoulder, acknowledging and apologizing for his sleepless watch, and lay down next to him.

Cloud closed his eyes and let a silent sigh of relief escape him.

* * *

The helicopters came at dawn. The firsts of their group had barely begun to awake when they heard and saw one pass low over the trees. The decision was unanimous: they had to move, because they had probably been seen. They packed in a hurry and set off minutes later, the girls and Genesis still bleary from sleep.

"Where are we even _going_?" Tifa asked, and Cloud could hear the hint of fear in her indignant voice. "We can't keep running forever!"

"We need vehicles," Sephiroth answered.

"Mideel is the only decent-sized town on the island now that Banora is gone, and we set off in the opposite direction from it," Rain pointed out.

"I would have proposed transportation, but I think my last copies are gone," Genesis said. "It would be much simpler if you all had wings…"

"Ah, about that, Genesis…"

While Angeal briefed Genesis on the presumed danger of their extra limbs, Sephiroth proceeded.

"This means the only source of vehicles around is Shinra itself."

"One of these helicopters would be a blast," Zack agreed, and Cloud saw Tifa gape at their craziness.

"Please don't tell me we are going to attack Shinra to steal a helicopter," she muttered.

She had apparently learned better than to outright tell them what was and wasn't possible, though.

"That would mean going back to Banora," Rain said. "The jungle is too impracticable for vehicles, they probably left them there."

"There'll be soldiers looking for us on the way there, right?" Cloud asked, a little sad.

He had been one of those people not too long ago, and having to fight them still felt unfair.

"Most probably," Sephiroth answered. "They'll certainly have brought Turks in, too. Valentine, you and I will scout ahead. We'll search for the best route and dispose of opposition if we have no other choice. Stealth is preferable. Angeal, you are in charge here."

Cloud distinctly saw Rain twitch, as if he was offended that Sephiroth had taken charge. He visibly restrained himself, though, and Sephiroth and Vincent were soon gone. There was a fierce frown on Rain's face, and Cloud couldn't even begin to understand what was going on in his head. More than ever, he missed the special connection he had had with his brother until not so long ago.

"You alright?" he whispered.

Before Rain could even consider answering, Angeal said:

"Let's all keep as silent as possible from now on."

* * *

Shinra _had_ brought Turks in… And since apparently, Turks were smarter than the average infantryman, going after the helicopters meant their motley group fell right into their trap.

They were surrounded, their backs to the gaping pit into the Lifestream that was all that remained of Banora. Tifa had pushed Aerith behind her, Cloud and Zack had taken their stances right before the girls and Sephiroth, Angeal, Genesis and Rain formed their first line of defence, Vincent right behind them, his weapon trained on Tseng.

"Must you make this so difficult?" the Turk was saying.

"We may fall today, Tseng, but not without taking most of Shinra's forces with us," Sephiroth answered. "I have no problem fighting you, but I doubt this is what you want."

Tseng sighed.

"Which is why I have to ask: must you really make this so difficult? We can work something out. The president would very much like you back."

"As what, lab rats?" Zack called out, using Angeal's words from seemingly so long ago.

"You are a symbol of Shinra, Sephiroth," Tseng continued like he hadn't been interrupted. "We have been trying to cover for your absence, but it's getting increasingly hard. Terrorist groups seem to raise their heads left and right, suddenly less afraid of Shinra's power. We have been fighting them back, of course, but it's getting tedious."

"I notice you have next to no SOLDIERs with you," Sephiroth said with a nonchalant glance around. "Did you maybe doubt they'd stay loyal against all four of their First Class officers?"

"Don't ask questions you already know the answer to."

Tseng began unhurriedly pacing, not even looking at them. Cloud decided watching Sephiroth and him clash was an exercise in psychological warfare.

"Shinra is ready to take you back. You, Angeal and Zack; and since Genesis' degradation seems resolved, I am sure I could get an agreement for him too."

Next to Cloud, Zack snorted.

"Man, how desperate are you guys?" he muttered.

He hadn't meant to be overheard, but Tseng stopped and looked at him.

"How desperate are _you_? Poor Aerith is your girlfriend, is she not? Is a life as a fugitive really what you want for her?"

Zack snarled, furious.

"You bastard…!"

"Don't be mistaken: you are the one who got her involved. She was safe in Midgar, we Turks made certain of that. I don't know how you got her away from our surveillance, but it wasn't your brightest idea."

"Because leaving her where monsters like Hojo or Hollander could find her and whisk her away was better?" Zack yelled.

"I see you have another civilian with you, too," Tseng continued, unperturbed. "You truly are careless."

Cloud sneaked a quick glance over his shoulder at Tifa, heart beating fast. Her face had hardened and she had her fists raised before her mouth, resolve painted in every line of her body. Even now, when they had been clashing so much over Rain, she was important to him. If only he hadn't asked Rain to leave that letter for her!

"We can propose an amnesty for everyone, especially the girls. They'll be brought in Shinra to ensure that they won't use whatever knowledge they acquired at your sides against the company, but they'll be out of danger and we'll be sure to find them a job. Your two other… friends, as well."

He sneaked a curious glance at Vincent and Rain, who both seemed to intrigue him.

"And then what?" Sephiroth asked, his bearing royal. "Brainwashing, scientific experiments? Assassinations in the dead of the night? The president is too paranoid to trust loose elements in his company. This offer isn't looking very appealing, Tseng."

Tseng sighed with a hint of annoyance. Cloud could have been mistaken, but he thought he saw sadness in his eyes, too.

"Well, at least I tried."

A gunshot rang and there was a high-pitched, distinctly feminine scream. Cloud turned back, heart in his throat, to see Tifa crumple to the ground.

"Tifa!" he screamed, his panicked voice merging with Aerith's.

Zack jumped behind his girlfriend while Cloud collapsed to his knees and frantically searched for a pulse.

"Snipers on the other side of the rift!" Zack shouted.

He held his broadsword vertically before him as partial protection and his eyes searched the shadows under the trees some hundred of yards away. Cloud could have cried in relief when he found Tifa's pulse, weak but there. A pool of blood was forming under her shoulder and she was unconscious. Nearly as pale as her friend, Aerith was already gripping the Restore Materia Angeal had given her just the day before when he had seen her helping Cloud.

"So this is your answer?" Sephiroth growled, furious.

Tseng seemed unmoved by his anger.

"We have concealed snipers all around the place, too far for you to take them down as easily as you did yesterday. Some of you SOLDIERs may escape from the battle, but as for the four civilians and Strife, I very much doubt it. This is your choice."

Cloud saw Rain reflexively glance back at him. Tseng was miscalculating, that much Cloud knew. Rain had definitely as much of a survival chance as Sephiroth, if not more since nobody would expect his skills, and Vincent had a good shot at getting out as well. But it was easy to see in his brother's wide eyes: he had no intention of getting out without Cloud or the girls. Zack and Angeal wouldn't sacrifice them either.

The steady beat of helicopters approaching made Cloud lift his head in desperation. Reinforcements, again? But he caught a faint frown on Tseng's face before the Turk returned to his blank expression. He wordlessly held a hand out and one of the Turks at his side gave him an earpiece.

Before Cloud could get his hopes up about some unexpected help, two pairs of helicopters appeared above the trees. A large metallic crate was suspended beneath each of the tandems; blades strained to keep their loads in the air.

"What is…?" Tseng began, now really frowning.

Angeal, Genesis, Sephiroth and Rain all simultaneously flinched.

The bottom of the crates opened and two large masses fell straight out, slamming to the ground and flattening half a dozen infantrymen in smears of blood. Tseng stumbled back, his composure broken before the two ugly creatures getting to their feet and scrutinizing their surroundings with beady and glowing green eyes.

"What is the meaning of this?" he yelled into the earpiece. "Give me your clearance!"

The monsters gave twin screams of defiance and stomped toward the rift, offhandedly killing any soldiers on their path.

"Get away!" Cissnei the Turk was screaming to the infantry, without much success in the sudden chaos. "Regroup at the tree-line!"

Tseng was heatedly arguing with the pilots of the helicopters, but Cloud wasn't hearing him anymore. He was more preoccupied with the fact that all four men in their first line of defence were visibly shaking and unsteady on their feet.

"What are these things?" Genesis yelled, panting.

From the harnesses around the beasts' heads came a contemptuous voice.

"Oh, so you managed to repair this one? No matter, Hollander's failures are not worth my time. Now, Sephiroth, you will cease resisting me!"

"Hojo," Sephiroth growled, "how many of these abominations are you playing with?"

"As many as are necessary to bring you back. Maimer, Killer, attack!"

The creatures were nearly three times as tall as him. Cloud didn't hesitate. Drawing his sword, he screamed a battle cry and forged into the fray. Zack's voice joined his and Vincent's very last shot rang before he threw his rifle away and charged with his clawed hand. He saw Angeal drag a stumbling Genesis away from an attack and lost sight of Rain and Sephiroth.

Before long, Cloud lost himself in the rhythm of battle. As non-enhanced as he was, he was desperately struggling to get the monsters' attention away from the other fighters to give them openings, slipping in pathetically useless attacks and barely escaping deadly claws.

He wasn't quick enough in evading a tail and went flying. He hit the dirt hard. He fought to get back to his feet, clutching at his ribs and his re-opened wound. A Cure spell washed over him and a helping hand appeared in his eyesight. He followed it to Tseng's face and gaped. The Turk looked livid.

"I don't care if the Scientific Division really got clearance for this," he ground out. "These monsters just cost us nearly a hundred men. Get up."

Cloud closed his mouth, solemnly nodded his thanks and grasped the outstretched hand.

There were only six Turks on the field, but their help made a huge difference in the fight. They all swarmed around one of the beasts despite Hojo's threats and enraged rants, and before long it fell to its knees and gave a last scream of agony.

Unfortunately, this scream found an echo in its partner. The second monster screeched and fell in a bottomless fury. Its green eyes flashed red and it rose on its hind legs, unleashing a series of devastating attacks on its own assailants. Vincent nimbly leapt away, but under the effect of the J cells', Sephiroth tripped and collapsed, blood leaking from large gashes across his chest.

It would have been okay since he was already struggling to stand up, but the creature had zoned in on him and, despite Hojo's panicked imprecations, raised a large paw to finish him off. There was a universal scream from nearly every soul in the field, Turks included, and Cloud felt his own vocal chords strain in his desperation.

A metallic clang rang out.

Rain strained to remain upright. One of the large claws had speared right through his thigh and huge cracks were appearing in his sword where he had just managed to raise it to protect his vital points. Shielded behind him, Sephiroth seemed stunned in immobility. Blue light began to lift from Rain's body and Cloud felt a relieved smile bloom on his lips. Rain's Limit Break would surely finish this beast!

Then the monster's other paw slammed in his brother's body.

It had just been a swat, meant to blow that pest away from the creature's true target. It would have been okay.

But Rain went flying towards the rift, high over Aerith's horrified eyes, the unconscious form of Tifa, then the cliff side. He disappeared in the green glow of the Lifestream.

There was a stunned silence. Or maybe it was just Cloud. Maybe something in him had broken and his brain was stuck with just that: the sight of the pit that had swallowed his brother, and silence when he should have been hearing his voice.

But then there was a roar.

This voice was human, but not by much, and born from so much fury Cloud had to look back. Sephiroth was standing, barely visible through the blue haze surrounding him and the nearby rocks flowing upwards from the force of his energy. He took a single step forward and Masamune flew in an arc so powerful it left an aftershock of blinding light that felt, for a moment, like the sun had exploded right here, on the outskirts of Banora's remains.

The Supernova Limit Break, Sephiroth's most devastating attack.

When the light faded and Cloud could blink the last burning spots from his eyes, Sephiroth was standing over the two neat halves of the monster's body, shoulders heaving with his every breath.

Two silent seconds passed, then Tseng cleared his throat.

"Good job," he said in a stern voice, trying to pretend he was unaffected. "I am sorry for your loss…"

Sephiroth veered on them. Suddenly it became obvious that it was not exertion that had him gasping for breath. His pupils were so contracted there was barely a vertical slit of black left in the seething green of his eyes. He was deathly pale, and his face was contracted in boundless rage.

Cloud found himself terrified of him.

"That man," he growled in a low, simmering voice, which rose in volume until it was a shout, "is not escaping me so easily!"

And before anyone could stop him, he rushed to the cliff and launched himself off of it in a flawless swan dive.

"Sephiroth, _no_!" Genesis screamed, rushing to the rift like everyone else.

They saw him get swallowed by the surface of the Lifestream and gaped, not a single one of them able to believe what had happened. And then Aerith shouldered past Tseng as if to take a look herself. She took a deep breath, and stepped off the cliff.

Zack's scream was bone-chilling.

She fell swiftly, her body vertical like a dancer's, arms stiff against her sides. And she, too, disappeared. Zack collapsed to his knees.

"What… what the hell just happened?" Cissnei asked in a low, horrified whisper.

* * *

Sephiroth regained consciousness in a sea of darkness.

He took a moment to lie motionless, breathing slowly, trying to assert his condition and his surroundings. The wounds on his chest had disappeared. How? Although there seemed to be no threat around him, it was difficult to be certain of it. The last thing he could remember was sinking in the Lifestream and the unbearable burn of liquid Mako on his skin. What was this place?

He climbed slowly to his feet, his mind playing with some theories. He heard whispers.

"Hello?" he called in the darkness.

Although there was no direct answer, the whispers rose in volume.

"The Calamity's son," they hissed.

"Her cells, her hideous, corrupted cells…"

"Her mind, her will, her hand…"

Sephiroth frowned, not liking what he was hearing.

"I am no one's hand," he claimed, "and son of no Calamity."

It felt like being stabbed between the eyes. He hissed under the onslaught of a vicious headache as the whispers grew harsher.

"Her cells!"

"Too close to the Envoy… Tried to take him away…"

"Dangerous dangerous dangerous," someone chanted.

"I am only a danger to what threatens me!" Sephiroth angrily retorted.

He had the uncanny feeling of being up against beings that had nothing to fear from him, but he still refused to back down or act coy. His pride was still whole and healthy and he wouldn't bow before disembodied voices!

As a result of his insolence, the headache grew worse and each voice felt like it was trying to beam directly into his mind, creating a cacophony that made it impossible to even _think_.

"Go _away_!" he yelled.

And then they did.

He lifted his head, startled, only now noticing the gentle hand that had settled on his arm.

"Miss Gainsborough?…"

"Aerith is fine," she said, smiling sweetly.

"How… Are you really here?"

Or was she merely an illusion of this timeless, spaceless place?

"Yes. I jumped after you. I could faintly hear the voices of the Lifestream, so I figured if anyone could help you bring Rain back, it'd be me."

Sephiroth nodded, his composure regained.

"I see. Thank you. I appreciate it."

"Well, I mainly did it for Rain," she giggled, joining her hands behind her back. "But I wouldn't have been brave enough to jump alone, so… thank _you_."

He smiled back, amused, and glanced around him. The void was still just as void and black, but the voices seemed completely gone.

"You chased them away?"

Aerith shrugged, embarrassed.

"I asked them to leave you alone. The Lifestream doesn't like you much."

"Because I am "the Calamity's son"?" he suggested.

"Well… From what I heard of Rain's story about you…"

"Yes. "The Calamity" is the Planet's name for Jenova, isn't it?"

"How did you know?" she asked, surprised.

"I guessed. But what is the Envoy?"

Aerith looked troubled.

"The Envoy? I don't know. Did the spirits say that?"

Sephiroth shrugged.

"If you are at a loss, let's forget about it for now. How do we find Rain?"

"Well… It's my first time doing this kind of things too, so… I guess we call him?"

It seemed just as good a method as any.

"Rain!" Sephiroth called in the nothingness. "Can you hear me? You are not bailing so easily on giving me some answers!"

Aerith actually giggled at him, before she too shouted:

"Rain, we came looking for you! Where are you?"

They took turns shouting his name. When there was no reaction, they exchanged a troubled glance… and then the ground dropped from beneath their feet. Aerith gave a startled cry and Sephiroth just managed to catch her hand so they wouldn't get separated.

Wind whispered in their ears and faint, confused images emerged from the darkness. A stormy sky, blue eyes, a mountain on a clear day, a sinister mansion, a deserted factory… With a start, Sephiroth recognized the dark alley that came next as the one where he had fought Angeal. And then came a close shot of his own cat-like glowing eyes. Encouraged, he called out once more:

"Rain!"

The images distorted like they had been nothing more than reflections on the surface of a pond he had just thrown a stone in. From nowhere came a feeling of _wrongness_. Aerith gasped.

"It's not this name we're supposed to use!"

"What?"

"I don't know, it's just an impression I got! Is Rain a nickname?"

Sephiroth frowned. A nickname? An alias, more likely. But there was no way to guess the man's real name, since he insisted on keeping his damned secrets. If they needed something that rang true within Rain… Strife was the only thing he knew for sure to be precious to him.

"Don't you want to see Cloud again? He's your family!" he yelled as a shot in the dark.

The void disappeared.

Abruptly, they were no longer free-falling. They were standing in the middle of a town, and it was burning.


End file.
